Former Australian cricket player Aaron Summers might go to jail after pleading guilty to charges of child sexual abuse connected to an event in Tasmania in 2018. In late June, the 30-year-old, who had previously played domestic cricket for Tasmania and the Hobart Hurricanes, changed his plea, according to a report by the Daily Mail.
He admitted to one count of grooming with the intention of exposing a child to obscene material and two charges of penetrative sexual assault of a child.
The offences occurred when Summers was a member of the Hobart Hurricanes team, according to court proceedings. He had communicated with the victim over social media before the incident, according to testimony given to the Supreme Court of Tasmania.
Aaron Summers’ Lawyer’s Statement
Caroline Graves, Summers’ attorney, contended at the hearing that the offences happened during a trying moment in his life that was characterised by social isolation and excessive use of social media. She informed the court that Summers was unlikely to commit another crime since he had subsequently thought back on what he had done.
“This offending will never go away from his mind, but he does need to get on with his life,” Graves said, as quoted by the Daily Mail.
“At the time of the offending, he was one of the fastest bowlers in the world, and that is why he was being identified to play internationally,” said Graves, highlighting Summers’ cricketing talent at the time of the offence. “He knows he will never progress into professional cricket in Australia or overseas,” she continued.
After entering a guilty plea in 2021 to several child exploitation offences, including the possession and transmission of child abuse material, Summers had already completed a prison sentence in the Northern Territory.
His attorney requested that a suspended sentence be considered in the current case, but Justice Helen Wood stated that this would not be a possibility. Summers was returned into custody after being granted bail; his sentencing is set for August.