A former pastor Michael Peele has been jailed for six months, with another two-and-a-half years suspended, for sexually abusing three young girls in the 1990s.
Peele was sentenced (and convicted) by Victorian County Court Judge Pardeep Tiwana in September after being found guilty by a jury in August.
The offending occurred between 1992 and 2000, which involved three young girls who were aged between three and eight-years at the time, his abuse took place in locations where the children felt most safe – a home and the church where he held a pastoral role.
Following the convictions, it was revealed Peele had been employed in various roles in schools in the Dandenongs during the mid-2000s, including as a part-time chaplain until his resignation in 2010.
Despite these positions, no complaints or reports of misconduct were made during his employment at those schools, and authorities confirmed no investigations were underway at that time.
At 86 years old, Peele entered the sentencing hearing with significant health issues, including a history of triple bypass surgery, heart failure, osteoarthritis, chronic neck pain, hearing impairment, and other age-related ailments.
His defence argued these factors, combined with his old age and lack of prior convictions, should weigh heavily in favour of a non-custodial sentence.
The medical reports submitted to the court detailed the strain that imprisonment would impose on Peele’s already fragile health.
Despite these mitigating factors, Judge Tiwana underscored the seriousness of the offences and the lasting impact on the victims and their families.
Peele was sentenced to a total effective term of three years, with six months to be served immediately and the remaining two years and six months suspended for three years.
Peele will begin serving his sentence, having already spent 20 days in pre-sentence detention.
His lifetime registration as a serious sexual offender will require him to comply with strict reporting requirements, ensuring ongoing monitoring by law enforcement.
Any future breach of these conditions may result in the activation of the suspended portion of his sentence or additional penalties.
