An Aboriginal community leader who raped and sexually abused four children over six years received a reduced prison sentence partly because of his standing in the community, despite a judge finding that he had shown “no remorse”.
Jeffrey Alan Brown, 67, a prominent member of Western Australia’s Hedland Aboriginal community, was convicted of abusing four children aged 10, 11, 12 and 14 in Port Hedland.
The District Court heard that the children were around 40 years younger than Brown and had been in his care, under his supervision or subject to his authority. They trusted him.
In 2024, Brown was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison for 13 child sex offences.
He is serving the sentence at Roebourne prison. The term was equivalent to the maximum penalty for a single charge of indecently dealing with a child.
According to The Australian, District Court Judge Gary Massey referred to Brown’s reputation in the community as one of the mitigating factors considered during sentencing.
Judge Massey pointed to Brown’s “significant connection to country”, his “commendable” work to preserve his culture and the fact that he had been his wife’s “full-time carer, which is a credit to you”.
“You’ve done it tough since being remanded in custody (awaiting trial)… you are separated from your family with whom you are close, and your wife is deprived of your role as her carer, which I’m sure weighs heavily on you,” he said.
Aboriginal community leader Jeffrey Alan Brown was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison in 2024 for 13 child sex offences
“Ultimately, the sentence I must impose must be proportionate with the seriousness of your offending.
“I am going to treat you as a person of prior good character… and that is a mitigating factor… I mustn’t impose a crushing sentence on you… that is, a sentence which destroys any reasonable expectation of a useful life upon release.”
The court heard that Brown first indecently assaulted a 10-year-old girl during a camping trip, The Australian reported.
He later raped her on two occasions while she was staying at his home.
Court documents reviewed by The Australian said Brown told an 11-year-old boy “to be a good boy” and “to keep a secret” before he “[tore] his pants down”.
The documents said Brown gave the boy $50 and enticed him with “chocolate” and “soft drinks” before raping him a year later.
In another incident, Brown instructed a 12-year-old girl to “go into the storeroom and get some tools” at his home, where he showed her adult pornography.
The girl said “no” and ran away. On a later occasion, however, Brown sexually abused her in his kitchen while his wife was in another room and the girl was preparing her a cup of tea.
Brown’s 10-and-a-half-year sentence, which he is serving at Roebourne prison, was equal to the maximum penalty for a single count of indecently dealing with a child
The girl’s 14-year-old sister was also abused by Brown, including during a camping trip to Yule River.
Brown pleaded not guilty to all 13 child sex offences and “denied the offences at trial”. Judge Massey later concluded that he had shown no remorse.
‘You don’t acknowledge the offending so therefore I can’t give you credit for any remorse,’ he said.
‘This is serious offending, as everyone acknowledges.
‘It involved you taking advantage of children in your care for your own sexual gratification … the effects of your offending on those children will be long-lasting.’
Judge Massey said some of the children kept the abuse secret due to ‘shame and embarrassment’.
‘They never told anyone, including the other siblings who were blissfully unaware of what was going on … until the disclosure by (their brother),’ he said.
‘You really took advantage of the trust reposed in you.’
Brown, who has four children and five grandchildren, does not drink or take drugs and had been widely respected within his community.
He worked for local government and helped establish the Pilbara Land Council, later serving on advisory boards and the boards of Indigenous corporations.