Man who raped deaf woman at a campsite near Lorne in Victoria gives sick excuse for act

A tradie who raped a deaf woman after she rejected him eight times insisted he wasn’t attracted to his victim and “it was just lust.”

David Elmer, 30, targeted the vulnerable woman in May 2019 when he raped her at a campsite near Lorne on Victoria’s south coast after helping to set up her tent.

Elmer, from Jervis Bay, NSW, was traveling with two girlfriends when they stopped at the campground.

The group met the woman – who uses Auslan as her native language – in a parking lot before he helped her carry her things and pitch her tent.

But then Elmer kissed her, and Victorian County Court heard her act surprised and kiss him back.

Elmer raped the woman at a campsite near the picturesque coastal town of Lorne in Victoria (pictured)

However, when Elmer – who dreamed of playing in a Christian rock band – suggested they have sex in the tent, she refused. Announce sun reported.

He then continued to ask if they could engage in other sexual acts, but she walked away from him and rejected his advances.

Elmer then followed her and offered to have sex with her in a toilet block, but she refused him eight times.

He then grabbed the woman from behind and digitally penetrated her.

The frightened woman calmly walked away from him before he exposed himself to her and asked the woman to perform a sexual act.

The pair then returned to the parking lot where Elmer left with his friends unaware of the attack.

The victim then told friends about the incident and reported it to the police.

Elmer told police the incident was consensual, but was convicted of rape by a jury after a week-long trial in January this year.

The tradie told police in an interview that he “had no feelings for her, so it was just lust.”

Judge Fiona Todd told the court during her sentencing that Elmer’s crimes were “opportunistic, persistent and brutal.”

“You fundamentally haven’t read [her] clear rejection of further physical intimacy with you,” Judge Todd said Friday.

“Your own desire for sexual activity made you unwilling or unable to understand what was clearly conveyed to you.”

Judge Todd added that the woman is still having panic attacks after the incident.

“Four years later, she still feels she hasn’t recovered enough to enter into an intimate relationship,” she told the court.

The court also heard that the victim was an avid surfer and loved camping, but has not gone out into nature for fear since the attack. Yahoo News Australia said.

Elmer may have thought the act was consensual, but that belief was “quite unreasonable,” Judge Todd said.

But the man has good prospects for rehabilitation because of his previous good character, the judge added.

Elmer had taken a theology course and a Christian gap year while wanting to join a Christian rock band, but he began appealing instead, the court heard.

Elmer (pictured) had taken a theology course and a Christian gap year while wanting to join a Christian rock band — but he began appealing instead, the court heard

The court heard that Elmer had good prospects for rehabilitation because of his previous good character

Judge Todd sentenced Elmer to four years and nine months in prison with a non-parole period of two years and 11 months.

He is eligible for supervised release in 2025 in light of the 144 days he has already served on remand.

The judge told Elmer never to overlook sexual denial again.

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National Sexual Abuse and Recovery Support Service 1800 211 028