Former Canberra AFL coach sentenced to 20 years in jail for child sex offences

Former Ainslie Football Club coach Stephen Porter has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the ACT Supreme Court after admitting to a series of child sex offences.

Porter, a one time junior AFL coach at the ACT club will serve a non-parol period of more than 12 years in jail after pleading guilty to charges against three boys.

Earlier this year, Porter's victims told the Court their stories of abuse at the hands of the now 52-year-old and how it had had lasting impacts on their lives.

Porter pleaded guilty to four charges, including maintaining a sexual relationship with a child, grooming, using a child to generate child abuse, and possessing child exploitation material.

However, he disputed the facts in the case of the first charge, which meant one of his victims had to give evidence before the Court.

As reported by the ABC, the Court heard that Porter had befriended the boy's family and often stayed over at their house during the time the boy was being abused.

Porter admitted sexually abusing the boy but disputed the number of times it had happened.

The Court also heard he had an attraction to boys between the ages of 12 and 14.

Porter had given the boy and two others to whom the charges relate private football coaching.

The Court heard Porter's offending had started with access to child abuse material and progressed to the offending against children.

Porter's lawyers presented psychiatric reports suggesting that he suffered a 'paedophilic condition'.

Justice Loukas-Karlsson addressed Porter directly and said the long sentence reflected the seriousness of his crimes, commenting "you must reflect during your time in prison on the harm you have caused", adding that his actions had caused a "deep well of human harm" for his victims and their families.

Porter also complained about the public humiliation of media coverage saying it was extra-curial punishment, but Justice Loukas-Karlsson said it was a natural consequence of such a crime.

Porter will not be eligible for parole until 2034.

Image credit: Shutterstock/Michael Hahn.