Craig Geoffrey Maria, now 25, of Jubilee Highway, Mount Gambier, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court this week to sexual penetration of a child aged 16 or 17 years under his care, supervision or authority.

He was not convicted, fined $3500 and placed on the sex offenders’ register for 15 years.

Maria claimed he did not know he was breaking the law having a relationship with a young woman under his care or supervision.

Magistrate John Lesser said ignorance was no excuse.

He said he had read a psychological report on Maria and accepted he was of good character but a victim-impact statement put a different flavour on the relationship.

The magistrate said Maria had pleaded guilty to the offence, which saved the victim the embarrassment of giving evidence, but it was clearly a serious offence and a breach of trust. Mr Lesser said Maria was unlikely to offend again in a similar manner.

Police said the complainant started working at the south-west store when she was almost 15, but over time gained a promotion and by last year she became close friends with Maria who was a manager.

Maria and the woman started a relationship in May last year when she was 17 years old, but she ended it and her mother then contacted police.

In an interview with police, Maria said he supervised the complainant, assisted her with the courses she completed to gain promotion but admitted getting into a relationship with the young woman was “far from the best decision I’ve made in my life”.

Defence counsel Dermott Dann said Maria had worked as an ABC reporter and at a motel before joining the  franchise. He moved to the store as a supervisor and was a manager in 2012 and 2013 but he had to leave after starting a relationship with the young woman who was then three months off being 18.

Maria was then 23.

Mr Dann said his client did not know he had committed an offence, two of Maria’s brothers had died and he had depression, anxiety and bereavement issues.

He said the young woman’s mother knew of the relationship but it was only after it ended that police were notified.