The sentences imposed for sexual offences against a child aged 11-12 by an offender aged 19-20, including an aggregate sentence of three years and four months for eight sexual offences (one of sexual intercourse and seven of indecency), were held not to be manifestly inadequate. The Court confirmed that a sentencing judge's reference to sentencing statistics and comparator cases is permissible as part of the material taken into account, provided correct sentencing principles are applied. The case of R v King [2013] ACTCA 29 was distinguished as involving a much older offender engaged in prolonged predatory conduct.
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