Police officer jailed for attempting sexual relationship with teen in foster care
Key points:
- Gopinath met the girl when she asked him for a ride home from the police station
- He sent 146 messages to the girl over the course of a month
- After the girl told another officer about Gopinath's behaviour, he claimed she was trying to blackmail him
Vikram Gopinath, 29, from Mildura, pleaded guilty to attempting to procure a child of 16 or 17 for sex and one charge of misconduct in public office.
The County Court heard that Gopinath had known the girl from when she was 13 years old and was aware of the girl's "vulnerability and susceptibilities".
The court heard she had a history of offending, had a difficult family situation and was a ward of the state.
"This was an aggravating feature," Judge Frank Gucciardo told him in sentencing.
The court heard the girl — known as N by the court — was at the Mildura Police Station in December 2016 and had asked Senior Constable Gopinath for a ride home.
When she got home, the court heard she sent him a note of thanks via Facebook Messenger.
The pair exchanged messages initially about the girl's troubles at home.
That escalated from "normal conversation to sexualised messages" the court heard.
The court heard on one occasion Gopinath arranged to pick her up around the corner from her foster home so as "not to alert" her carers.
On another, he told her to jump out the window to meet him.
He had asked her to send nude pictures of herself, and had sent a photo of himself in uniform taken from a low angle, saying "That is the view ur gunna have on ur knees baby ;)"
Girl reported messages after an argument
The court heard after Gopinath and N had an argument in January 2017, she sent him a text message.
"You lie about everything, I'm showing your work these photos," the message said.
The court heard the girl alerted another officer to the photos and when Gopinath was asked about them, he told the officer he had lost his phone.
The girl then contacted an off-duty officer claiming to have found the phone in a local mall.
The court heard Gopinath tried to turn the allegations back on the girl, and claimed she was trying to blackmail him.
"She tried to kiss me at one point, but I pushed her away," the court was told Gopinath had told other officers.
"I made it very clear I wanted to be friends, to help her with what she was going through."
Over a month-long period, the court heard Gopinath had sent 146 separate messages and had received more than 440 messages from the teenager.
The girl recorded 87 phone calls, some of which detailed the sexual activity.
"You lost sight of your position and age," Judge Gucciardo said."It is utterly reprehensible," Judge Gucciardo said of Gopinath's misconduct.
"When compounded by lies and untruths it is incomprehensible."
While Judge Frank Gucciardo acknowledged Gopinath had only kissed the girl, he said Gopinath had shown no insight into the impact the crime had on the teenage victim.
On the second charge of misconduct in public office, Gopinath was given a two-year corrections order.
Source: abc.net.au