Disgraced former Ainslie Football Club coach Stephen Porter has been jailed for 20 years by the ACT Supreme Court after he admitted to child sex offences.
Earlier this year, Porter's victims told the court their stories of abuse at the hands of the now 52-year-old and how it had had lasting impacts on their lives.
Porter pleaded guilty to four charges, including maintaining a sexual relationship with a child, grooming, using a child to generate child abuse, and possessing child exploitation material.
But he disputed the facts in the case of the first charge, which meant one of his victims had to give evidence before the court.
The court heard that Porter had befriended the boy's family and often stayed over at their house during the time the boy was being abused.
Porter admitted sexually abusing the boy but disputed the number of times it had happened.
The court also heard he had an attraction to boys between the ages of 12 and 14.
Porter had given the boy and two others to whom the charges relate private football coaching.
'A human tragedy'
Porter's lawyers urged the court to take his mental state into account.
Psychiatric reports described him as an intelligent man but said he was deeply depressed and had suffered a paedophilic condition.
The court heard he had been trying to rehabilitate but progress was slow.
Justice Chrissa-Loukas Karlsson said she recognised Porter's remorse and efforts to address his problems, but said Porter was aware that what he was doing was wrong.
The court heard Porter's offending had started with access to child abuse material and progressed to the offending against children.
Porter also complained about the public humiliation of media coverage saying it was extra-curial punishment, however Justice Loukas-Karlsson said it was a natural consequence of such a crime.
She sentenced Porter to 20 years in jail, with a non-parole period of 12 years and six months.
Justice Loukas-Karlsson addressed Porter directly and said the long sentence reflected the seriousness of his crimes.
"You must reflect during your time in prison on the harm you have caused," she said.
She also pointed to the impact the offending had on the victims and their families.
"This is a human tragedy," she said.
"There is inevitably a deep well of human harm in this case."
Porter will not be eligible for parole until 2034.
