Former Hobart Hurricanes cricketer Aaron Summers has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison for child sexual abuse and grooming offences.
The 30-year-old will serve 10 months in jail, while the remaining 20 months of his sentence have been suspended.
The sentence was handed down by the Tasmanian Supreme Court. The offences took place in Hobart in 2018, when Summers was 21 and the girl was 15.
What happened in the case?
Summers first met the girl after a Hobart Hurricanes match in December 2017. They later connected through Instagram and Snapchat. In January 2018, Summers picked the girl up and took her to a school at night.
The court heard that he sexually abused her there. He continued to contact her after the abuse and later sent her sexual images. Summers pleaded guilty to two counts of penetrative sexual abuse of a child and one grooming offence.
Why did court give him a prison sentence?
Tasmanian Supreme Court Justice Helen Wood said Summers had used his position as a sportsperson to get close to young people.
The judge said young people often look up to professional athletes because of that trust, athletes have a special responsibility to behave properly around young fans.
Justice Wood said the case should also send a strong warning to other sportspeople. She said people who use their position to take advantage of children should expect serious punishment.
Summers had a previous criminal conviction
The latest case was not Summers’ first offence involving children. He had already served three years and 11 months in prison in the Northern Territory.
He was jailed after pleading guilty in 2021 to offences involving child exploitation material and attempting to arrange sexual activity with someone under 16.
The earlier offences involved three boys he knew through cricket. The girl in the Tasmanian case went to police in 2021 after seeing news reports about Summers’ earlier crimes.
His cricket career has ended
Summers once had a promising career as a fast bowler. He played one Big Bash League match for the Hobart Hurricanes in 2017.
He also played three one-day matches for Tasmania after making his state debut in 2018. However, his professional cricket career came to an end following his criminal conduct.
The court also heard that Summers had completed rehabilitation programmes and understood the harm caused by his actions.