Jordan Gareth Jones found guilty of sexually assaulting child during Great Southern home break-in
/ By Jamie ThannooA man has been found guilty of breaking into a home and sexually assaulting a family's young daughter in Western Australia's south.
Jordan Gareth Jones, 29, faced a four-day District Court trial in Albany this week after pleading not guilty to four counts of indecent dealings with a child under 13.
The court heard Jones entered the family's home in the town of Katanning in the Great Southern region shortly after midnight on November 30, 2022, and approached their eight-year-old daughter who was sleeping with two of her younger siblings in their living room.
At the beginning of the trial, Jones pleaded guilty to charges of stealing and burglary, but denied the allegations of sexual assault.
Girl was left 'shaking'
Through recorded interviews, the child told the court that Jones woke her up, touched her bottom and genitals, and then exposed his penis to her.
She had been sleeping in the family's lounge room with her younger siblings, who remained asleep during the assault.
The child said Jones then kissed her on the forehead and said, "I'll see you in the morning", before leaving the property.
Her father then chased after Jones, who was eventually arrested the following day.
The mother of the girl said she had been deeply frightened by the ordeal.
"She was shaking and she was trying to be quiet," the mother said.
"Her eyes were really wide open. She was really scared."
Forensic analysis failed to find Jones' DNA on the victim's clothes, leaving the prosecution largely reliant on the victim's testimony.
Jury finds offender guilty on all counts
Prosecutor Robert Clarke argued it was highly unlikely an eight-year-old could be mistaken about such specific events.
"How do you mistakenly think someone has touched you liked that?" he said.
After less than an hour of deliberation, the jury found Jones guilty on all counts.
Jones' sentencing has been postponed to August 6, to allow for a psychological report to be prepared.