No jail for Vic man who abused teen girls

A man with an intellectual disability been spared jail for sexually abusing three girls in Victoria.

Nathan Doherty lured one 13-year-victim he'd met on Snapchat to a park in the state's northwest.

The girl had been upset about a fight with her mother and thought Doherty, then 18, would comfort her.

Instead, he sexually abused the girl. She was upset and crying when she disclosed the abuse about a day later.

Doherty also targeted two 15-year-old girls, including one he met via Facebook, over the same period between March and May 2019.

Now aged 20, he was sentenced in Victoria's County Court on Tuesday to 184 days' jail already served.

He was also placed on a 30-month community correction order, including 100 hours of community work which could take the form of treatment.

Doherty has an intellectual disability, and previously pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual penetration of a child aged under 16.

He also admitted to one charge each of producing and possessing child abuse material after police found a video on his phone of one victim performing oral sex.

The court was told he started binge drinking and using cannabis as a teenager, and his intellectual disability had impaired his judgment.

Doherty will be a registered sex offender for life.