A former Executive Officer of local Royal Australian Navy base HMAS Creswell in Jervis Bay has been found guilty of historic child sex offences in Darwin's Supreme Court.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
David Edward Lindsay Graham, 50, former Commander in the RAN, had pleaded not guilty to eight charges, with a jury taking just over two and half hours to find him guilty of seven offences on Wednesday, August 14.
Graham has been found guilty of three counts of indecent dealing with a child under 16 years, one against a child under 10, three act of gross indecency and attempted sexual intercourse.
The charges related to incidents in the Northern Territory between 2004 and 2006, when the two male complainants, who are both now adults, were children.
Graham had been extradited to Darwin from Canberra to face court.
The court heard the two complainants, who cannot be identified, kept the allegations to themselves until several years after the alleged incidents occurred.
One of the complainants, who is now a young man, recalled three incidents in which Mr Graham allegedly touched his genitals when they were alone together.
The second complainant alleged Mr Graham attempted to rape him while they were alone together on a road trip.
The second man also alleged that once when he stayed at Mr Graham's house, the man touched his genitals while they watched a movie together.
The court heard the boy went to a spare room and locked the door, but it was a simple lock that could be opened from the outside.
The boy said he went to bed and locked his door, but woke to find Mr Graham in his bed, masturbating.
On another occasion, a complainant's mother walked into a bedroom to see Mr Graham and her son playing video games while Mr Graham allegedly had two fingers down the back of the boy's shorts.
Afterwards, she took her son for a walk on the beach and spoke to him about inappropriate touching, but the boy told her nothing had happened.
The court heard military police were alerted to the allegations in 2017.
In 2013 Queen's Birthday Honours, then Commander Graham was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) for outstanding devotion to duty as HMAS Creswell's executive officer.
His citation said he was an exceptional leader whose professional ethos, loyalty, commitment and dedication have been of the highest order.
"His dynamic approach to command and unstinting efforts had improved safety management, invigorated the divisional system and forged strong bonds with supporting groups and the broader community,'" the citation said.
"His inspirational leadership achieved outstanding results for HMAS Creswell and enhanced the training of navy officers who will serve in the future defence of Australia."
At the time, having spent 21 years in the navy, CMDR Graham said his two years at Creswell were among the most rewarding and enjoyable of his career.
He likened his role of XO at Creswell as "virtually like the village sheriff, making sure everything ran smoothly".
At that time of the award in 2013 he was stationed at the Submarine Capability Branch in Canberra as the personnel manager.
It is the second time in as many years HMAS Creswell, the home of the RAN's Naval College training future officers, has been embroiled in a sex controversy.
In March last year, then 59-year-old Warrant Officer Ian Duncan Harrison, was found guilty after court martial proceedings of unwanted sexual behaviour against five women at the base.
Harrison was found guilty of 11 charges including acts of indecency, using insulting and provocative words and prejudicial conduct and was kicked out of the Australian Defence Force and sent to a military jail.
Graham will reappear in Darwin's Supreme Court on August 21 for sentencing submissions.
