Former Down Under Lawmaker Sentenced for More Than Half a Decade for Sexual Offenses

One-time Australian politician convicted of sexually abusing two young men connected through his position received a sentence to five years and nine months in detention.

Case Details

The defendant, forty-four, has been in prison since July after the court convicted him of raping a victim and attacking a second person, in separate incidents in 2013 then 2015.

Ward served the oceanfront municipality of the district in the NSW government from over a decade ago. He stepped down as a political party official when allegations came to light in 2021 but resisted resigning from his seat and won again in last year.

Sentencing Details

Judge Kara Shead considered his visual impairment of legal blindness in the judgment and found "no other penalty except for detention would be suitable".

The convicted individual, who was present via video-link at the judicial venue, will complete at no less than three years and nine months in custody before he can seek conditional freedom.

The court official stated the court needs to "send a stern message to potential criminals that criminal acts such as this will be subject to significant consequences".

Further Details

She also said Ward had "evaded consequences for a decade and experienced freedom free from a programme or consequence for his actions during that time".

After his conviction, Ward initiated a failed appeal attempt to continue in government and left office shortly before the members could expel him.

Defense attorneys has stated earlier he plans to challenge the ruling.

Trial Evidence

Ward's extended court case in the judicial venue learned that he invited a drunk teenager to his property in the first incident and attacked him three times, despite his attempts to fight back.

Subsequently, he sexually assaulted a young government employee at his residence after an event at government offices.

He had maintained the later assault was fabricated, and that the first victim was confused about their encounter from 2013.

The state's attorneys maintained that significant resemblances in the accounts of the victims, who did not know one another, showed they were accurate in their accounts.

A jury deliberated for 72 hours before announcing the guilty verdicts.

Ward's resignation caused a special election in the district in last fall, which was won by the opposition party.