June 2019

‘Obsessed’ sex abuser from Launceston had bizarre photos of his child victim

A 71-year-old man has been jailed for sexually assaulting a young girl.

After Donald Philip Van Male was arrested police found bizarre photographs of the girl at the his house, with her face cut out.

A court heard there was nothing untoward about the pictures, however, and that they were merely his attempt at surrealist art.

Van Male, of St Clether, Launceston, appeared at Truro Crown Court on Wednesday (June 5).

He pleaded guilty to six charges of sexually touching a girl aged under 13.

Philip Lee, prosecuting, said Van Male touched the girl between her legs either over her jeans or sometimes inside her clothing on around 12 occasions.

He said she was aged 11 and 12 at the time and was confused about his actions and did not know how to react.

“He admitted he had become obsessed by her,” Mr Lee added.

The court heard Van Male was of previous good character and had served his country in the Armed Forces in the 1960s.

Judge Simon Carr said he took into account Van Male’s genuine remorse and gave him credit for his early guilty pleas.

Van Male was sentenced to four and half years in prison for each offence, to run concurrently.

He will also be listed on the Sex Offenders’ Register and was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.