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A former McDonald’s worker from central Queensland has pleaded guilty to having a sexual relationship with his then underage colleague almost a decade ago and giving her herpes.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pursued the worker before entering into a sexual relationship with her despite knowing she was a minor.
The relationship continued for several years even though the girl, at age 16, contracted a sexually transmitted disease from the man.
Doctors reported her STD to child safety authorities, who did not follow up.
A former McDonald’s worker from central Queensland has pleaded guilty to having a sexual relationship with his then underage colleague and giving her herpes (file image)
Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said the man initially befriended the girl by chatting with her on social media and inviting her to play video games.
The victim told the man, seven years her senior, about her mental health problems when he asked her out.
On their first date, the man asked the victim if he could kiss her and, after initially resisting, she finally agreed.
Two weeks later, the man visited the girl at her home and they agreed to have a relationship.
After this, the man used to spend the night at the girl’s house, which she shared with her mother.
The court heard the man took the girl’s virginity, despite her complaining of pain and telling him to stop, which he did twice.
The couple had sex about five times a week. The man did not use protection but the girl was taking the pill.
It was during this period of unprotected sex that the girl was diagnosed with herpes; However, the man denied having infected him with the incurable sexual disease.
“The defendant told her she must have gotten it from someone else,” Ms. Lawrence told the court, reports the mail.
‘He had been diagnosed with oral herpes (a year earlier).
“The doctors reported that fact to Child Safety, but nothing came of that report at that early stage of the relationship.”
The man met his victim when they both worked at McDonald’s, where he had a high-level position (file image of a McDonald’s restaurant in Australia, not the one involved in this case)
Defense lawyer Maree Willey said the man did not know that oral herpes – also known as cold sores – could be transmitted to other people.
Once the boy came of age, the relationship continued for almost two years. The two were even engaged for a time.
The victim filed a complaint with authorities in 2021 and the man spoke to police about a year later.
Judge Michael Burnett said the victim felt “her adolescence had been taken away from her and she felt more like a housewife”.
Family and friends were aware of the situation but “turned a blind eye to a clearly wrong situation” by not reporting it to the police, Judge Burnett said.
He also noted that the victim had been bullied by colleagues who called her a “gold digger” after the relationship ended.
Lawrence said the girl’s father did not file a police report because he feared it would end his relationship with his daughter.
The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of having a sexual relationship with a child.
He was sentenced to three years in prison, fully suspended and operational for five years, and is now a reportable sex offender.