A single mother whose teenage daughter was sexually assaulted by her disability support worker said his jail sentence had given her family little relief from the damage he caused.
Western Australian man Tomas Albert Hopkins was sentenced to six years jail last month after pleading guilty to several child sex offences, including persistently engaging in sexual conduct with a child under the age of 16 in his care.
The 29-year-old was employed as a disability support worker for his two victims, who had been diagnosed with autism.
Bunbury's District Court heard Hopkins paid one 15-year-old victim $10,000 to keep quiet after she confronted him about the abuse.
The other victim was Rachel, whose name has been changed for privacy, who was 17 at the time of the offending between September 2021 and January 2022.
Hopkins had told Rachel he would self-harm if she spoke out.
Rachel's mother, Sarah, whose name has also been changed for privacy, said it was a relief he would never be allowed to work with children again.
"I would like to see him put away forever, but that's not feasible," she said.
"My daughter was determined to make sure he admitted he did wrong.
"Coming forward was a big thing for Rachel and I'm really proud of her."
Trauma has devastating impact
Sarah, a single mother, worked to support and provide for her daughter's needs without government assistance until Rachel's autism diagnosis about a year ago.
She said Hopkins' offending had been traumatic and completely turned their household upside down.
"[The experience has] made us both very distrustful of anyone, especially any support workers from the NDIS [National Disability Insurance Scheme], especially any men," Sarah said.
She said Rachel had become so distrustful of men that she seldom left the house, with no more school or therapy appointments.
"I've had a few moments where I get really depressed, angry and frustrated," Sarah said.
"Rachel doesn't want to leave the house at all.
"I wouldn't trust any male alone with her now because of what happened. I can't."
Sarah went from working full-time in hospitality, to working sporadically when she could and surviving off $100 a week on a carer's pension.
The pair have been selling some of their belongings to make ends meet.
Sarah said it meant Rachel had to go without her usual favourite foods.
"When you've got a child with autism, they have particular food and sensory issues," she said.
"I've had to tell her all those things are off the menu. We can't afford it."
NDIS confusion
Hopkins had been hired as a support worker funded through the NDIS.
As was permitted, Hopkins was not registered, had no qualifications, and had not been through a security screening process.
Sarah said none of the people employed to help arrange her NDIS plan had told her the onus for checking a support worker's qualifications and appropriate safety checks rested with her.
While police confirmed Hopkins did have a valid Working With Children's Check, he had not gone through the rigorous NDIS worker's screening process, which could have been requested by Sarah.
"My support coordinator had told me how awesome he [Hopkins] was," she told the ABC when he was charged.
"I just went with that, not knowing that I had to be a detective.
"I was busy dealing with a child that's newly diagnosed with autism, trying to learn all about that, and then trying to read between the lines of the NDIS.
" I wasn't really aware of where my responsibilities lay."
Sarah said she was ready to pull the pin on the NDIS, which she said had been impossibly hard to navigate.
Hopkins' lawyer told the court he had experienced abuse in his childhood, with a psychological assessment finding he likely had a personality disorder.
Hopkins will be eligible for parole after serving four years in prison.
