18 April,2011 02:43 PM IST | | ANI
A man in Australia, who had sex with his stepdaughter 15-years ago while she was 11-years of age, and had a child with her, could now end up in jail.
According to the Courier Mail, the man, who was then 42, was facing a seven-year stint in jail when police originally charged him in 1995, but he managed to flee interstate after he got bail twice and was jailed for several months.
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He managed to evade the police for 14 years, 18 months and three-days, and during that time he returned to Brisbane undetected by authorities and married the girl, who by then had turned 18.
The two went on to have another child, a son, in 2005, and they both raised their now 14-year-old daughter together.
The man, who cannot be named to protect the woman, is now 58-years, and after he was recaptured in March he pleaded guilty to an act of unlawful carnal knowledge with a girl in his care under 12.
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Prosecutor Rebecca Britnell revealed in court that the man was in a relationship with the child''s mother and they produced a son - the girl''s half brother about a year before the sexual assault.
Britnell said the man had been asleep naked in his bed when the 11-year-old came into his bedroom, disrobed and they had sex.
The court heard the man told the girl the one-off incident, which he told police was the result of her being the "sexual aggressor", was wrong and could never happen again.
However, when the girl revealed she was pregnant the pair fled interstate and remained in hiding until her disappearance and her mum''s appeal for her safe return became a national media event.
Britnell said the girl, by then 30 weeks pregnant, telephoned her mother shortly after and arrived at Brisbane''s Roma Street Travel Centre in April 1996.
She said the girl made a statement to police, the man was charged, bailed by a magistrate, breached it by seeing the girl, was jailed for three months, again bailed and then fled.
The court was told the man remained on the run until police learned of his whereabouts in Brisbane on March 8 this year.
Police contacted the man, gave him 24-hours to sort out his affairs and he surrendered the following day and has been in custody since.
Presiding Judge David Reid described the case as extraordinary, as the man returned to Brisbane, rekindled his relationship with the girl and they married, produced a son, separated in 2007 and remain good friends.
The so-called victim was seated in court during the hearing and repeatedly shot looks of support to the man as lawyers from both sides made their submissions.
Britnell submitted the man be jailed for 18-months, but his barrister, Josh Creamer, argued for his immediate release.
Creamer said his client continued to have a very good relationship with the "complainant", who smiled when the comment was made, and was considered an "awesome dad" by their daughter.
"My gut feeling with this one is that any person would recoil at the breach of trust by this man," News.com.au quoted judge Reid as saying.
"But it was a one off event. It was not predatory and they have a good long time relationship all these years later," he stated.
Judge Reid said he wanted time to consider the facts and remanded the man in custody.
