A 20-year-old Canberra man who admitted to raping two girls, aged seven and 12, has been sentenced to three and a half years in jail.
The ACT Supreme Court heard the second offence, against the 12-year-old, was committed while the man was on bail for the first offence.
Court documents showed the man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been staying with a friend and the seven-year-old girl for several days when he sexually assaulted her on two consecutive nights.
In a victim impact statement, the girl's mother said at the time of the abuse her daughter's behaviour regressed and she had uncontrolled rages for no particular reason.
"He took away her innocence and childhood," the mother said.
"She still asks why the defendant hurt her, which has been very difficult."
Another victim impact statement, read to the court by a family member, conveyed the girl's feelings about the incident and said the girl wanted the man to know how he had affected her.
"He made her feel unsafe, worried and embarrassed about what occurred," the family member's statement said.
"She felt like she couldn't tell anyone about what happened and she was worried it would happen again."
The court heard it was six months before the girl told her mother what had happened.
'I f***ed up good'
When confronted by police, who had gone to investigate, the man admitted abusing the seven-year-old.
"I f***ed up good. I know what I did was wrong," he said.
The second incident, involving the 12-year-old girl, came to light soon afterwards, when the man and the victim were staying in the same house.
When quizzed about what happened by someone he knew, the court heard the man did not deny what he had done.
"She consented, she consented," the man had said.
"I really liked her."
But today, the court heard the man had reduced culpability because he has been diagnosed on the autism spectrum and has difficulty reading social cues.
Justice Michael Elkaim said he had also had appalling family circumstances.
"He has been bereft of support throughout his childhood," Justice Elkaim said.
"His past circumstances were chaotic, itinerant and marred by domestic violence."
The court also heard the man had never had a job.
Justice Elkaim said he had to consider the man's mental state and background, although he also acknowledged he was assessed at an above-average risk of re-offending.
The man was sentenced to three years, six months and 27 days in jail.
With time already served, he will be eligible for parole in March.
