Awarded senior jailed for 'appalling' child abuse
Robert Eccles, 72, was found guilty by a jury in April of four child abuse charges, including committing an indecent act on a child aged under 16 and sexual penetration of a 16- or 17-year-old child under his care.
He was acquitted by the jury of another four charges of sexual penetration and one of committing an indecent act with a child.
Eccles was aged 59 and working as a senior umpire in Warrnambool when he started giving full body massages to a 15-year-old junior umpire in his garage in 2011.
The Indigenous elder had mentored the boy and told him the massages were important for his performance as an umpire.
When the boy turned 16, the massages became sexual.
Eccles faced the County Court in Melbourne on Monday, supported by four women, when he was jailed for a maximum of four years and eight months.
Chief Judge Amanda Chambers found his offending against a child who was under his care while inside his home was an inherent beach of trust.
"(It was) appalling offending against a child who you had mentored and encouraged," she said.
"What you did was so egregious that it is nonsensical to suggest you may not have fully appreciated the wrongfulness of your conduct."
Eccles was appointed as an elder to Koori court hearings in the county and magistrates courts in 2016, and continued in this role until 2023 when he was charged.
In 2021, he received a Victorian Senior of the Year volunteer award for his role in local sport.
However, Judge Chambers said Victoria's minister for ageing Ingrid Stitt had written to Eccles and requested he return his trophy and certificate for the award.
Eccles, who continues to maintain his innocence, must spent a minimum of two years and 11 months in jail before he will be eligible for parole.
He has already served 67 days of this sentence.
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National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
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"All families who were impacted by the allegations were informed of the investigations and their outcomes," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Joshua Dale Brown was charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight alleged victims aged under two at a centre at Point Cook, in Melbourne's southwest, between April 2022 and January 2023. The 26-year-old, who worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne from 2017 to 2025, has been accused of abusing eight children aged under two at the G8 Education-run facility. The ASX-listed childcare giant said it investigated Brown's conduct twice while he was employed at the company. Both incidents, which did not involve claims of sexual misconduct, occurred after the alleged abuse for which he has been charged. However, Brown's working-with-children approval wasn't revoked despite the two events being substantiated and reported to state authorities. The first G8 Education investigation in April 2023 found Brown aggressively picked up and put down, and did not emotionally support, an upset child in his care. Brown was given a formal written warning and placed on a performance improvement plan. He took three months' leave after the investigation. In January 2024, Brown was suspended and resigned after a second round of allegations. These included that he raised his voice during interactions with three children and forcibly grabbed the arm of one child, the leg of another child and forcibly pulled off that child's shoe. The allegations were considered proven, the company said. "The premier has responded to the information that has been available," she told reporters on Sunday. "She has acted very quickly, as has the government. Victoria Police are thoroughly investigating what are absolutely horrific allegations. "I'm not going to engage in any commentary that could, anyway at all, hamper the investigation by the Victoria Police." The state government has instigated a rapid review into safety provisions in the childcare sector, including changes to strengthen working with children checks. But Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the government needed to take action rather than launching another review. "We can't have a system where kids are left at risk and parents don't trust the system," he said. "We need to see action, and there are some things we can do now." Other measures being investigated include mandating CCTV cameras in childcare centres, which G8 Education has committed to doing in its facilities, and bringing forward a ban on personal mobile phones. G8 Education chief executive Pejman Okhovat said the company took immediate action after receiving reports about Brown's conduct and "followed robust processes for responding to serious incidents of this nature, including all required actions under regulation and law". "All families who were impacted by the allegations were informed of the investigations and their outcomes," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Joshua Dale Brown was charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight alleged victims aged under two at a centre at Point Cook, in Melbourne's southwest, between April 2022 and January 2023. The 26-year-old, who worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne from 2017 to 2025, has been accused of abusing eight children aged under two at the G8 Education-run facility. The ASX-listed childcare giant said it investigated Brown's conduct twice while he was employed at the company. Both incidents, which did not involve claims of sexual misconduct, occurred after the alleged abuse for which he has been charged. However, Brown's working-with-children approval wasn't revoked despite the two events being substantiated and reported to state authorities. The first G8 Education investigation in April 2023 found Brown aggressively picked up and put down, and did not emotionally support, an upset child in his care. Brown was given a formal written warning and placed on a performance improvement plan. He took three months' leave after the investigation. In January 2024, Brown was suspended and resigned after a second round of allegations. These included that he raised his voice during interactions with three children and forcibly grabbed the arm of one child, the leg of another child and forcibly pulled off that child's shoe. The allegations were considered proven, the company said. "The premier has responded to the information that has been available," she told reporters on Sunday. "She has acted very quickly, as has the government. Victoria Police are thoroughly investigating what are absolutely horrific allegations. "I'm not going to engage in any commentary that could, anyway at all, hamper the investigation by the Victoria Police." The state government has instigated a rapid review into safety provisions in the childcare sector, including changes to strengthen working with children checks. But Opposition Leader Brad Battin said the government needed to take action rather than launching another review. "We can't have a system where kids are left at risk and parents don't trust the system," he said. "We need to see action, and there are some things we can do now." Other measures being investigated include mandating CCTV cameras in childcare centres, which G8 Education has committed to doing in its facilities, and bringing forward a ban on personal mobile phones. G8 Education chief executive Pejman Okhovat said the company took immediate action after receiving reports about Brown's conduct and "followed robust processes for responding to serious incidents of this nature, including all required actions under regulation and law". "All families who were impacted by the allegations were informed of the investigations and their outcomes," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 Joshua Dale Brown was charged with more than 70 sex offences against eight alleged victims aged under two at a centre at Point Cook, in Melbourne's southwest, between April 2022 and January 2023. The 26-year-old, who worked at 20 childcare centres across Melbourne from 2017 to 2025, has been accused of abusing eight children aged under two at the G8 Education-run facility. The ASX-listed childcare giant said it investigated Brown's conduct twice while he was employed at the company. Both incidents, which did not involve claims of sexual misconduct, occurred after the alleged abuse for which he has been charged. However, Brown's working-with-children approval wasn't revoked despite the two events being substantiated and reported to state authorities. 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"All families who were impacted by the allegations were informed of the investigations and their outcomes," he said. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
The Advertiser
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A former psychologist says he was misled into pleading guilty to sexually abusing eight male patients after his lawyers told him he'd be jailed for less than five years by doing so. The 59-year-old, who cannot be legally named, is on trial in the NSW District Court for raping and molesting a 15-year-old boy in his office on the state's north coast in mid-2017. The teen attended two counselling sessions with the clinical psychologist who has been accused of watching pornography on his phone and suggesting the youth attend a nudist beach to relieve stress. Prosecutors have shown jurors alleged admissions made by the man to sexually abusing eight other patients, attempting to prove he had a tendency to act in a certain way. However, the 59-year-old claims he was coerced into making the admissions in 2019 by his former lawyers at Sydney-based firm Nyman Gibson Miralis and his former barrister Michael Gleeson. 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The psychologist told his lawyer he had been put into a "bad position". "I don't appreciate being misled," he said. After changing his legal team, he told his new barrister Nancy Mikhaiel the day before a 2020 sentence hearing that he had been "seriously misled," jurors were told. "I can't do 10 years, it's not in me," he said, according to a legal note read to the court. Ms Mikhaiel testified under questioning by defence barrister Anita Betts that a non-parole period of under five years was not realistic because of the admissions and number of complainants. She said the sentence hearing was postponed and she withdrew as his counsel due to the concerns raised about the integrity of his plea. The trial continues on Friday. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 A former psychologist says he was misled into pleading guilty to sexually abusing eight male patients after his lawyers told him he'd be jailed for less than five years by doing so. The 59-year-old, who cannot be legally named, is on trial in the NSW District Court for raping and molesting a 15-year-old boy in his office on the state's north coast in mid-2017. The teen attended two counselling sessions with the clinical psychologist who has been accused of watching pornography on his phone and suggesting the youth attend a nudist beach to relieve stress. Prosecutors have shown jurors alleged admissions made by the man to sexually abusing eight other patients, attempting to prove he had a tendency to act in a certain way. However, the 59-year-old claims he was coerced into making the admissions in 2019 by his former lawyers at Sydney-based firm Nyman Gibson Miralis and his former barrister Michael Gleeson. The court heard evidence on Thursday by former Nyman Gibson Miralis solicitor Penelope Baker about her then client's decision to plead guilty and sign a statement of agreed facts relating to the eight complainants. The psychologist claimed Mr Gleeson advised that he would get a maximum jail term of eight years with a non-parole period of four-and-a-half years because of the pleas, the jury heard. A file note from a 2020 conference with Ms Baker revealed the psychologist was "gobsmacked" that estimates for his non-parole period had been expanded to five to seven years instead. "I was very disappointed," he said, according to the note. "I'm feeling that he has let me down, I'm doubting everything he's done." The psychologist was swiftly advised that if he pleaded not guilty and went to trial, he would have a very high risk of losing and receiving 10 years' minimum in prison, the jury was told. After he requested to reverse his pleas, Ms Baker said this would be a terrible idea. The psychologist told his lawyer he had been put into a "bad position". "I don't appreciate being misled," he said. After changing his legal team, he told his new barrister Nancy Mikhaiel the day before a 2020 sentence hearing that he had been "seriously misled," jurors were told. "I can't do 10 years, it's not in me," he said, according to a legal note read to the court. Ms Mikhaiel testified under questioning by defence barrister Anita Betts that a non-parole period of under five years was not realistic because of the admissions and number of complainants. She said the sentence hearing was postponed and she withdrew as his counsel due to the concerns raised about the integrity of his plea. The trial continues on Friday. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 A former psychologist says he was misled into pleading guilty to sexually abusing eight male patients after his lawyers told him he'd be jailed for less than five years by doing so. The 59-year-old, who cannot be legally named, is on trial in the NSW District Court for raping and molesting a 15-year-old boy in his office on the state's north coast in mid-2017. The teen attended two counselling sessions with the clinical psychologist who has been accused of watching pornography on his phone and suggesting the youth attend a nudist beach to relieve stress. Prosecutors have shown jurors alleged admissions made by the man to sexually abusing eight other patients, attempting to prove he had a tendency to act in a certain way. However, the 59-year-old claims he was coerced into making the admissions in 2019 by his former lawyers at Sydney-based firm Nyman Gibson Miralis and his former barrister Michael Gleeson. The court heard evidence on Thursday by former Nyman Gibson Miralis solicitor Penelope Baker about her then client's decision to plead guilty and sign a statement of agreed facts relating to the eight complainants. The psychologist claimed Mr Gleeson advised that he would get a maximum jail term of eight years with a non-parole period of four-and-a-half years because of the pleas, the jury heard. A file note from a 2020 conference with Ms Baker revealed the psychologist was "gobsmacked" that estimates for his non-parole period had been expanded to five to seven years instead. "I was very disappointed," he said, according to the note. "I'm feeling that he has let me down, I'm doubting everything he's done." The psychologist was swiftly advised that if he pleaded not guilty and went to trial, he would have a very high risk of losing and receiving 10 years' minimum in prison, the jury was told. After he requested to reverse his pleas, Ms Baker said this would be a terrible idea. The psychologist told his lawyer he had been put into a "bad position". "I don't appreciate being misled," he said. After changing his legal team, he told his new barrister Nancy Mikhaiel the day before a 2020 sentence hearing that he had been "seriously misled," jurors were told. "I can't do 10 years, it's not in me," he said, according to a legal note read to the court. Ms Mikhaiel testified under questioning by defence barrister Anita Betts that a non-parole period of under five years was not realistic because of the admissions and number of complainants. She said the sentence hearing was postponed and she withdrew as his counsel due to the concerns raised about the integrity of his plea. The trial continues on Friday. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028 A former psychologist says he was misled into pleading guilty to sexually abusing eight male patients after his lawyers told him he'd be jailed for less than five years by doing so. The 59-year-old, who cannot be legally named, is on trial in the NSW District Court for raping and molesting a 15-year-old boy in his office on the state's north coast in mid-2017. The teen attended two counselling sessions with the clinical psychologist who has been accused of watching pornography on his phone and suggesting the youth attend a nudist beach to relieve stress. Prosecutors have shown jurors alleged admissions made by the man to sexually abusing eight other patients, attempting to prove he had a tendency to act in a certain way. However, the 59-year-old claims he was coerced into making the admissions in 2019 by his former lawyers at Sydney-based firm Nyman Gibson Miralis and his former barrister Michael Gleeson. The court heard evidence on Thursday by former Nyman Gibson Miralis solicitor Penelope Baker about her then client's decision to plead guilty and sign a statement of agreed facts relating to the eight complainants. The psychologist claimed Mr Gleeson advised that he would get a maximum jail term of eight years with a non-parole period of four-and-a-half years because of the pleas, the jury heard. A file note from a 2020 conference with Ms Baker revealed the psychologist was "gobsmacked" that estimates for his non-parole period had been expanded to five to seven years instead. "I was very disappointed," he said, according to the note. "I'm feeling that he has let me down, I'm doubting everything he's done." The psychologist was swiftly advised that if he pleaded not guilty and went to trial, he would have a very high risk of losing and receiving 10 years' minimum in prison, the jury was told. After he requested to reverse his pleas, Ms Baker said this would be a terrible idea. The psychologist told his lawyer he had been put into a "bad position". "I don't appreciate being misled," he said. After changing his legal team, he told his new barrister Nancy Mikhaiel the day before a 2020 sentence hearing that he had been "seriously misled," jurors were told. "I can't do 10 years, it's not in me," he said, according to a legal note read to the court. Ms Mikhaiel testified under questioning by defence barrister Anita Betts that a non-parole period of under five years was not realistic because of the admissions and number of complainants. She said the sentence hearing was postponed and she withdrew as his counsel due to the concerns raised about the integrity of his plea. The trial continues on Friday. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Perth Now
03-07-2025
- Perth Now
Psychologist tries to back-track child abuse admissions
A former psychologist says he was misled into pleading guilty to sexually abusing eight male patients after his lawyers told him he'd be jailed for less than five years by doing so. The 59-year-old, who cannot be legally named, is on trial in the NSW District Court for raping and molesting a 15-year-old boy in his office on the state's north coast in mid-2017. The teen attended two counselling sessions with the clinical psychologist who has been accused of watching pornography on his phone and suggesting the youth attend a nudist beach to relieve stress. Prosecutors have shown jurors alleged admissions made by the man to sexually abusing eight other patients, attempting to prove he had a tendency to act in a certain way. However, the 59-year-old claims he was coerced into making the admissions in 2019 by his former lawyers at Sydney-based firm Nyman Gibson Miralis and his former barrister Michael Gleeson. The court heard evidence on Thursday by former Nyman Gibson Miralis solicitor Penelope Baker about her then client's decision to plead guilty and sign a statement of agreed facts relating to the eight complainants. The psychologist claimed Mr Gleeson advised that he would get a maximum jail term of eight years with a non-parole period of four-and-a-half years because of the pleas, the jury heard. A file note from a 2020 conference with Ms Baker revealed the psychologist was "gobsmacked" that estimates for his non-parole period had been expanded to five to seven years instead. "I was very disappointed," he said, according to the note. "I'm feeling that he has let me down, I'm doubting everything he's done." The psychologist was swiftly advised that if he pleaded not guilty and went to trial, he would have a very high risk of losing and receiving 10 years' minimum in prison, the jury was told. After he requested to reverse his pleas, Ms Baker said this would be a terrible idea. The psychologist told his lawyer he had been put into a "bad position". "I don't appreciate being misled," he said. After changing his legal team, he told his new barrister Nancy Mikhaiel the day before a 2020 sentence hearing that he had been "seriously misled," jurors were told. "I can't do 10 years, it's not in me," he said, according to a legal note read to the court. Ms Mikhaiel testified under questioning by defence barrister Anita Betts that a non-parole period of under five years was not realistic because of the admissions and number of complainants. She said the sentence hearing was postponed and she withdrew as his counsel due to the concerns raised about the integrity of his plea. The trial continues on Friday. 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
