A NSW man has pleaded guilty to 99 charges that relate to the sexual abuse of his stepdaughter. 9 News reports that the abuse allegedly started when the girl was just 12 years old.
The 45-year-old Sydney man, who is representing himself in NSW District Court, said his relationship with the girl was consensual and he claimed they behaved like “a married couple”. He has denied drugging his stepdaughter so he could sexually assault her.
In his opening address on Thursday, the man explained: “We will outline in our case, that (the stepdaughter) and I, in 2009 to 2014, acted like a married couple.”
“The relationship between (the stepdaughter) and I developed, and I’m sorry that it did.”
He continued: “I have given (her) a life sentence. What’s done is done, all I can do now is proclaim my innocence for the offences I didn’t commit.”
The man is facing multiple charges, which include administering an intoxicating substance in order to commit a crime. Five charges relate to the girl’s mother while 22 counts relate to the girl, news.com.au reports.
The man has also pleaded not guilty to assaulting another stepdaughter when she was around 11 years old, The Sydney Morning Herald adds.
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