A Warrnambool man has been sentenced to 15 months jail after being found guilty of seven historical sex offences against children.
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Robert Charles Bevan, 67, of Evelyn Crescent, had pleaded not guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court to eight charges.
Magistrate Michael Coghlan dismissed one. Bevan has lodged an appeal.
Defence counsel Michael Turner said that during a nine-year stint with the East Warrnambool football club Bevan had been the president, vice-president and a trainer. The barrister tendered a letter from a parent who expressed appreciation of the support given to her two sons at the club.
"He provided a lot of assistance to the football club and some young people with disadvantages," Mr Turner said.
The offences were not associated with the roles he performed at the club.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Paul Harris called for a substantial immediate jail term after Bevan put the two victims through the ordeal of giving evidence at a contested hearing and had shown no remorse.
The magistrate said that during the hearing it was apparent the process was a distressing and humiliating experience for both victims.
Mr Coghlan said the charges involved a gross breach of trust and even though allegations were made to police years ago, it had taken a long time to get to a contested hearing.
He said Bevan had no prior or subsequent offending, medical investigations were ongoing into whether he had pancreatic cancer and that he had suffered his first heart attack in his 40s.
Bevan was jailed for 15 months with a further nine-month term suspended for two years. He will also be on the sex offenders' register for life.
East Warrnambool Football Netball Club contacted The Standard on Wednesday afternoon and said it had no record of Bevan holding the president or vice president positions.