WARNING: This article contains descriptions of sexual assaults on minor, some readers may find distressing.
A 31-year-old woman, who grew up in Gembrook and Macclesfield area, has been sentenced to three years and two months in prison on Friday, 29 August, after pleading guilty to grooming and sexually offending against a 15-year-old boy.
Veronica Bridge (a pseudonym), appeared in the County Court of Victoria where she was sentenced on one charge of grooming for sexual conduct with a child under 16, two charges of sexual assault of a child under 16, and two charges of sexual penetration of a child under 16.
She must serve a non-parole period of 23 months and will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
The court heard Ms Bridge met the teenage victim while working at a hospitality venue in July 2024.
Over the course of two and a half weeks, she sent him more than 500 messages on Instagram and Snapchat, many of which were sexually explicit.
She also purchased alcohol for the boy and, on multiple occasions, engaged in sexual contact with him, including kissing, oral sex and intercourse, in her car.
At the time of the offending, Ms Bridge was 30 years old.
Judge Robyn Harper said the case involved “textbook grooming” and stated Ms Bridge had full awareness of the illegality of her conduct.
“You knew what you were doing was both wrong and illegal,” Judge Harper said.
“Your behaviour quickly escalated from online contact to penetrative sex with a child half your age.”
Ms Bridge was born in December 1993 and grew up in the Gembrook area, she attended primary school in Macclesfield and later completed her secondary education at Mater Christi College and Box Hill Senior Secondary College.
The court heard that her family struggled financially during her childhood and that she experienced bullying and body image issues from an early age.
Ms Bridge disclosed being sexually abused by her father at the age of seven and said this trauma contributed to long-term mental health difficulties.
She later developed substance dependence and engaged in self-destructive behaviour, including multiple suicide attempts.
After momentarily studying nursing in Warrnambool, Ms Bridge lived in Mount Hotham, where she entered a long-term abusive relationship.
She later completed a Bachelor of Nursing at Victoria University and worked as a nurse from 2018, however, her registration was suspended by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) following an incident involving the unauthorised taking of medication from her workplace, which occurred prior to the offending in this case.
Following her arrest, Ms Bridge engaged in rehabilitation for drug and alcohol dependency and received mental health treatment.
A psychological assessment found she suffers from borderline personality disorder, polysubstance dependence (early remission), and adjustment disorder.
Forensic psychologist Patrick Newton assessed her as having a low risk of reoffending and identified a need for ongoing therapeutic support.
Despite this, Judge Harper said that the seriousness of the offending warranted immediate imprisonment.
“This was serious offending,” the judge said.
“You groomed your victim from shortly after the time you met him and your behaviour escalated rapidly. While your plea of guilty and personal circumstances are noted, general deterrence is of paramount importance in cases involving sexual offending against children.”
The victim did not provide a personal impact statement, but his mother addressed the court in writing, describing the profound impact the offending had on their family.
“This has left lasting emotional wounds,” she said.
“Our son is still a boy, and the trauma he has experienced and we as a family have experienced will not simply fade with time.”
Instead, Ms Bridge was sentenced to a total effective term of three years and two months imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 23 months.
Her Honour said had Ms Bridge not pleaded guilty at an early stage, the sentence would have been four years and eight months.
In addition to being placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life, Ms Bridge was declared a Serious Sexual Offender under Victorian law.
The declaration applies to the charges of sexual assault and sexual penetration and carries implications for parole eligibility and post-release monitoring.
1800 Respect National Helpline: 1800 737 732
Lifeline (24-hour crisis line): 131 114
Victims of Crime Helpline: 1800 819 817
Men’s Referral Service: 1300 766 491
