Richard John White, 80, of Eddington Street, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool County Court this week to two counts of sexual assault committed during the mid-1980s against sisters aged between six and 10 years old in Melbourne.

White has twice before been sentenced to two-and-a-half year jail terms for similar offending.

When interviewed by police in 2018, White said he didn't specifically remember the incidents while he was acting as a babysitter but it was the type of offending he committed.

Judge Paul Higham received a range of medical material indicating that White was next week due to start six weeks of radiation treatment for lung cancer.

White's rehabilitation is expected to take between one month and three months.

Judge Higham adjourned the further hearing of the case until October 23 in Melbourne.

He said an immediate term of imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence option.

The judge said the offending involved a grave breach of trust, White must lose his liberty but he had acute medical issues which required almost immediate treatment.

Barrister Michael Turner said his client had not offended for more than 30 years.

He said White's father returned from World War II after being gassed, his mother died soon after and his father was unable to care for White or his sister.

White went into a Legacy boys home where he was sexually abused and raped.

Mr Turner said White justified his offending as he was abused and rejected.

Judge Higham said it was clear that White had deviate sexual desires that he acted on.

White said he had done a number of sex offenders' courses which he found confronting and he described his own life as "wreckage".

Mr Turner said White had been an excellent athlete, representing Victoria in tennis and trying out with the Collingwood Football Club.

He said his client now had a diminished physical capacity, time had caught up with him, he had severe health issues and another term of imprisonment would be devastating.

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