An evil man has been convicted of the rape of a 12-year-old girl that was described by a judge as “undoubtedly a parent’s worst nightmare” after he lured her back to his flat and raped her.
A court in New South Wales sentenced Brett Callaghan, 39 to 12 years imprisonment with a minimum nine years behind bars for his nine-hour nightmare.
According to the court, she spoke to him after her phone battery ran out. He promised to be able charge the device and convinced her into getting in his car.
After giving her a lift back to his flat, Callaghan presented a pipe used to smoke crystal meth, and demonstrated to her how to use it, News.Au reports.
(Image: Facebook)
After smoking it twice, the girl became ill. Her condition at the time was described as feeling “tired, uneasy and hot but also cold”.
Callaghan held her hostage and tried to free her multiple times.
The first time, the girl was seen running down the driveway heading towards a neighbour “screaming”, before being picked up by Callaghan.
Callaghan pulled her over later when she tried to flee the car. He forced her to perform oral sexual sex after she returned to the car.
The girl’s mother called police when she failed to appear at the station as scheduled on April 25, 2020.
(Image: Facebook)
CCTV footage of the number plate on Callaghan’s car was used to lead them to his flat, and they arrived at the property in the early hours of the following morning.
The mother told the court of the grave impact the crime had on the girl, saying that her “happy, free-spirited child” had become a shadow of her former self.
“Although she has good days here and there, the impact has been catastrophic,” She said.
In his defence, Callaghan described how his life had spiralled since failing a drugs test that stopped him going to the Commonwealth Games as a swimmer, writing in a statement: “I have gone from an elite athlete to someone with no direction or career prospects”
After pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child and supplying a prohibited drug to a child, Callaghan was sentenced to 12 years, and will be eligible for parole on April 28, 2029.
Further counts of aggravated sexual intercourse and two counts of sexual touching were considered in his sentence
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