'Predatory' former Logan teacher jailed over child sex offences
/ By Daniel White
'Predatory' former Logan teacher jailed over child sex offences
A former Logan teacher labelled "predatory" has been imprisoned for a series of "invasive and gross" child sex offences, the court was told.
On Thursday, Jason Seung Hak Lee received a five-year prison term after admitting several offences, among them four counts of indecent treatment of a child and one count of possessing child exploitation material.
The Brisbane District Court was told the 30-year-old offended between 2023 and 2024, targeting four girls aged 13 to 16.
His youngest victims included a student he had formerly taught and a child attending a school where he worked as a volleyball coach.
On different occasions, he offered lifts home to the girls, and sexual activity occurred with him inside his car.
In further conduct, he communicated via Snapchat with two additional girls while misrepresenting his age.
He swapped explicit material with one teenager dozens of times and attempted to procure a sexual act from the other.
Victim describes feeling 'extreme shame'
One of the girls provided a victim impact statement to the court, which was read out on her behalf.
She said Lee’s crimes had caused ongoing anxiety and "extreme shame and feelings of betrayal".
"I feel guilt and embarrassment, even though I now know I was a child at the time and was manipulated," she said in her statement.
She said Lee had "significantly damaged" her capacity to trust others and that she is perpetually "hypervigilant and on edge".
"I have constant nightmares about Jason," she said in her statement.
Crown prosecutor Seamus McManus told the court that while Lee neither threatened nor used violence against the girls, he nevertheless held "influence" over them.
"He occupied a position of trust and authority," he said.
Mr McManus told the court the "disgraceful" offending involved "invasive and gross acts" and was not opportunistic.
"It was a deliberate plan … that plan was for sexual gratification," he said.
Judge Terry Gardiner characterised the conduct as "predatory".
"It was a gross breach of trust," he said.
In setting the sentence, Judge Gardiner was required to consider Lee’s early guilty plea and absence of prior criminal history.
He fixed a parole eligibility date of January 2028.
On Thursday, Jason Seung Hak Lee received a five-year prison term after admitting several offences, among them four counts of indecent treatment of a child and one count of possessing child exploitation material.
The Brisbane District Court was told the 30-year-old offended between 2023 and 2024, targeting four girls aged 13 to 16.
His youngest victims included a student he had formerly taught and a child attending a school where he worked as a volleyball coach.
On different occasions, he offered lifts home to the girls, and sexual activity occurred with him inside his car.
In further conduct, he communicated via Snapchat with two additional girls while misrepresenting his age.
He swapped explicit material with one teenager dozens of times and attempted to procure a sexual act from the other.
Victim describes feeling 'extreme shame'
One of the girls provided a victim impact statement to the court, which was read out on her behalf.
She said Lee’s crimes had caused ongoing anxiety and "extreme shame and feelings of betrayal".
"I feel guilt and embarrassment, even though I now know I was a child at the time and was manipulated," she said in her statement.
She said Lee had "significantly damaged" her capacity to trust others and that she is perpetually "hypervigilant and on edge".
"I have constant nightmares about Jason," she said in her statement.
Crown prosecutor Seamus McManus told the court that while Lee neither threatened nor used violence against the girls, he nevertheless held "influence" over them.
"He occupied a position of trust and authority," he said.
Mr McManus told the court the "disgraceful" offending involved "invasive and gross acts" and was not opportunistic.
"It was a deliberate plan … that plan was for sexual gratification," he said.
Judge Terry Gardiner characterised the conduct as "predatory".
"It was a gross breach of trust," he said.
In setting the sentence, Judge Gardiner was required to consider Lee’s early guilty plea and absence of prior criminal history.
He fixed a parole eligibility date of January 2028.