A Sydney tennis coach faces at least four years and three months behind bars for what a judge has called depraved acts with one of his underage students.
Ray Younan was taken to prison on Thursday after pleading guilty to 17 charges related to the sexual abuse of a young girl in his custody for six months in 2019.
“The offender deliberately chose to offend again and again as he did for the depraved purpose of sexual gratification,” said District Court Judge Kara Shead.
Younan, now 73, has been found guilty of a number of charges including sexually touching a child aged 10 to 16 and intentionally inciting a child to touch him.
While escorting the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, to tennis tournaments in rural NSW and his training center in northern Sydney, Younan touched the girl during training sessions. oil and cream massage, he massaged her naked body and kissed her.
In a statement read in court, the victim said she felt horrified, traumatized and disgusted by what happened.
“When the crime first happened, I felt confused, scared and threatened. I’ve had a lot of nightmares about the situation, “she wrote.
“After realizing what happened to me, I cried a lot … At first I wondered if I had done the wrong thing.”
Judging at Sydney’s Downing Center, Judge Shead found that the tennis coach had manipulated and abused his victim’s innocence, telling him that what he was doing was helping him prepare to play tennis and prevent injuries. .
Younan went to great lengths to end up alone with the victim, making excuses for sharing a hotel room with her on her tour and sending other students on errands or outings, the judge concluded.
The trainer also threatened her victim and abused her trust, saying she had to pay him back for the massages by stroking his genitals, and that if he didn’t he would stop training her and she couldn’t. he plays tennis.
“The victim was entirely vulnerable to predation by the attacker … The attacker was in complete control of her and had no one to turn to,” the judge said.
“The fault lies entirely with the offender. The victim was an innocent and blameless child who has no reason to be ashamed. He is in no way responsible ”.
The conduct was discovered after another student ran into the naked couple in a hotel room and called their parents. A police investigation into the child abuse unit led to his arrest.
Judge Shead granted a reduced sentence on Younan’s prime grounds of guilt on various charges. His probation period was also shortened due to his advanced age and mental health issues as a possible early diagnosis of dementia.
It also took into account that the tennis coach was punched in the back during a two-week jail term in December 2019 after fellow inmates learned what he was accused of. During the attack, Younan suffered a laceration, a black eye and two broken teeth.
Younan will spend a maximum of six years and six months in prison, expiring on February 3, 2029.
He will be eligible for parole on November 3, 2026.