WA News

Save
Print
License article

Son of former WA premier jailed for child sex abuse in Roebourne

The son of former WA premier Peter Dowding has been sentenced over a string of child sex offences.

Kymberley Dean Dowding, 42, pleaded guilty in the Karratha Courthouse on Monday to 11 child sex abuse offences in the town of Roebourne between 2015 and 2016.

The charges included two counts of encouraging a child to engage in sexual behaviour and six counts of sexual penetration of a child.

He was jailed for three years and three months.

The court heard the 42-year-old approached two teenage girls, between the ages of 13 and 15, who were not known to him.

He spotted them in the street and asked them if they would like money or cigarettes in exchange for sex.

Advertisement

The girls declined, however one of the teenagers later went back to Dowding's home and participated in oral sex for money.

In the following days, one of the girls kept returning to his home and performed sexual acts for money. 

At the time of the offences, Dowding was using methamphetamine and cannabis. 

The court heard in 2010 how Dowding was involved in the coronial inquest death of a toddler. 

The toddler was electrocuted in a home which he'd been contracted to provide a safety switch to, but failed to do so. 

As a result his electrical licence was suspended. 

Judge Michael Gething said Dowding had demonstrated 'high levels of remorse' for his sexual offending but that his crimes were of the utmost seriousness. 

"The seriousness of your offending is such that only imprisonment can be justified," Judge Gething said.

"Further, the community needs to be protected from others who might be inclined to offend in the way you did."

Dowding is reported to be the first man to be sentenced after a number of paedophiles across the region were arrested earlier in the year.

Local media in the region report that more than 30 men were charged with almost 300 counts of child sex abuse during a nine-month police operation across Roebourne and Karratha.

Former WA Premier Peter Dowding was reportedly present for his son's sentencing on Monday.

He was the 24th Premier of Western Australia, serving from 25 February 1988 until his resignation on 12 February 1990 after an internal party dispute.