A 70-year-old former West Australian athletics coach has been jailed for sexually abusing two young girls under the guise of giving them massages and helping them stretch.
The man, who cannot be identified, was found guilty by a District Court jury of seven charges of indecently dealing with the two victims, who were aged between 12 and 16 years old at the time of the offending, more than a decade ago.
Six of the counts were aggravated by the fact that the two girls were considered to be under the man's "care, supervision or authority".
The court was told the girls would attend coaching sessions with the man after school near a suburban bridge, when he routinely gave the athletes he was training massages, manipulated their muscles and helped them with stretches.
However, he was found to have molested the two girls, who are now adults, while doing that.
The man stood trial and denied any wrongdoing, arguing what was alleged did not happen, but the jury rejected his claims.
'I lost my voice'
One of the girls read her victim impact statement to the man's sentencing hearing, telling the court having trust in men, was "a constant battle" for her.
She said the man's actions had taken away from her the sport she loved so dearly, and she now found it difficult to let her own children participate in sports.
"I lost my voice, my confidence, my innocence and a love for life and sport as a result of what happened," she said.
The victim said going through the court process had re-traumatised her and once again brought up a range of emotions which had caused a great deal of stress.
Judge Sarah Russell said while the man's offences may have been fleeting, it was clear his crimes had "a significant and long-lasting effect" on both the victims.
Judge Russell said the man was in a position of authority and power over each victim which made his offences more serious.
"You had been entrusted with their care," she told the man.
"They should have been safe with you.
"Instead you abused that trust … and took advantage of opportunities to deal with them in a way that was utterly indecent and inappropriate and violated each of them."
The court heard that one of the girls recalled other instances of the man acting inappropriately towards her, but he was charged, and convicted of, only the ones she could remember in detail, with Judge Russell describing the offences as part of a "wider ongoing course of conduct over a period of time".
Judge Russell said the man, who at the time of the offending was in his 50s, had shown no signs of remorse and he continued to maintain his innocence.
She imposed a jail term of three years and eight months, and said the man's offences were too serious for the sentence to be suspended.
The man will have to serve at least 22 months before he can be released on parole.
