Former Hobart Hurricanes bowler sentenced for grooming and sexual abuse of teen
Ex-Hobart Hurricanes cricketer Aaron William Summers received a two-and-a-half-year jail term, with the latter 20 months suspended, for sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl.
Aaron William Summers, a former player for the Hobart Hurricanes, was convicted of two penetrative sexual abuse offences and one grooming count against a 15-year-old girl. The abuse occurred after the girl approached him following a 2017 match, leading to social-media contact and a night when Summers took her to a primary school and assaulted her twice. Justice Helen Wood imposed a 2½-year prison term, with the final 20 months suspended after a 10-month custodial period, meaning he will be released in April.
The judge emphasized that Summers knowingly exploited his position as a professional athlete, which facilitated the crimes. Earlier, Summers had served three years and eleven months in the Northern Territory for child-abuse material offences and was arrested upon release to face the Tasmanian charges. He is expected to return to Western Australia to complete his suspended sentence under strict probation conditions.
Why it matters
The case underscores how a former professional athlete abused his public profile to exploit a minor, raising concerns about athlete conduct and child protection.
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