In short:
Clinton Parry Harris, 30 and Sheldon Todd Barron, 25, pleaded guilty to assaulting a 14-year-old girl after befriending her on social media.
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Harris → plead → media
Harris had driven from Perth to Geraldton with Barron to meet the girl and drive her back to their house.
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Harris → drive → house
The men were sentenced to jail and must serve at least a year before being eligible for parole.
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men → sentence → parole
Two men who pleaded guilty to raping a 14-year-old girl in the back of a van on a major WA highway will spend at least a year in jail.
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who → plead → jail
Warning: This story contains details some readers may find distressing.
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readers → contain → details
Clinton Parry Harris, 30, and Sheldon Todd Barron, 25, pleaded guilty on the day their five day trial was supposed to begin in the Geraldton District Court.
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trial → plead → Court
In the agreed statement of facts presented to court, in 2024 Harris, who was 28 at the time, had been communicating with the victim via Snapchat.
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who → agree → Snapchat
Harris paid for a bus ticket from Geraldton to Perth so they could meet, but when she failed to catch the bus he decided to drive 440 kilometres north to Geraldton.
uncertain
he → pay → Geraldton
Harris travelled in a van which had passenger seats removed and replaced with a mattress as well as bringing along his 23-year-old housemate Sheldon Todd Barron.
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seats → travel → housemate
Victim persuaded
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Victim → persuade → ?
The court heard how the two men and 14-year-old smoked some cannabis before they began the drive to Perth.
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they → hear → Perth
When the victim grew tired she laid on the mattress next to Barron before consenting to kissing him and engaging in oral sex with the man.
Harris then pulled the van over on Brand Highway and climbed into the back of the vehicle to join the pair.
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Harris → grow → pair
Both Harris and Barron proceeded to sexually penetrate the 14-year-old multiple times.
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Harris → proceed → old
Both the prosecution and defence counsel agreed the men "honestly and reasonably" believed they had received consent from the victim, before the child started to become reluctant.
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child → agree → victim
The victim asked the men to stop and they complied but after a short break began sexual acts again.
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they → ask → acts
Judge Lawrence Levy rejected that both men at this stage honestly and reasonably believed the victim was still consenting.
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victim → reject → stage
The judge said it was clear the victim had earlier told the men to stop.
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victim → say → men
Age not questioned
The court heard both Harris and Barron "honestly believed" the victim was over the age of 16.
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victim → question → 16
When messaging Harris, the victim told him she was worried her father would find out.
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father → message → him
Judge Levy said this should have been a red flag and an opportunity for Harris to question the victim's age.
"In my view the failure to make enquiries particularly when you knew about [the victim's concerns] about the father was reckless," he said.
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he → say → father
Judge Levy firmly rejected the defence that Barron thought the victim was 18 because she discussed "partying and going out".
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she → reject → defence
"I recognise I have no photographs of how the victim presented [at the time] but from the child witness interview she did not present as a mature female for her age,"he said.
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she → recognise → age,"he
Harris pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual penetration of a child over 13 and under 16.
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Harris → plead → 16
Barron pleaded guilty to four counts of the same charge.
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Barron → plead → charge
Despite entering guilty pleas at the "eleventh hour" the men received a 9 per cent discount taking into consideration a trial did not take place.
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trial → enter → place
When Judge Levy said an immediate term of imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence Barron became visibly emotional and slouched on the dock barricade with his head in his hands.
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Barron → say → hands
Harris remained upright looking into the distance.
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Harris → remain → distance
Barron was sentenced to two years and two months in jail and will be eligible for parole after serving 13 months.
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Barron → sentence → months
Harris was jailed for two years and eight months, eligible for parole after 16 months.
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Harris → jail → months
"It is clear the offending has had a profound and lasting effect on not only the victim but also her family," Judge Levy said.
"
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Levy → have → victim
I want to make clear that the victim is ultimately blameless and in this case she should be commended in bravery for coming to the police."
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she → want → police
The Aporia