Former Newcastle church worker Brett Sorby jailed for sexually abusing teenager

A former leader of a church youth group has been sentenced to a maximum term of 13 years in prison for repeatedly sexually and indecently abusing a young girl 20 years ago.

The teenager, now a woman in her 30s, told Newcastle District Court she went through “hell” during the months of abuse at the hands of 60-year-old Brett Andrew Sorby.

“This is a chance to share my voice… to fight for the girl no one else would fight for.

“It's a chance for the cries of this broken 15-year-old girl to be heard.”

In March, Sorby pleaded guilty to six counts of aggravated sexual intercourse with a person between the ages of 14 and 16, three counts of sexual intercourse with a person between the ages of 16 and 17, and six counts of aggravated indecent touching of a subordinate victim.

Sorby was indicted in January 2023 and taken into custody in March of this year after pleading guilty to offenses dating back to 2004 and 2005.

“Who would believe me?”

Sorby appeared via audio-visual link, sobbing and nodding his head as the person he abused gave her victim impact statement in court.

“I am ready to look you in the face and show you that you can do no harm to people and still live a beautiful life,” she said.

“I am ready to return the shame for what you did to me.”

She said he had positioned himself as a respectable man in society.

“Not the man who spent all his time helping the church and anyone who ever needed a helping hand.

“Not the firefighter who saved lives, not the youth group leader… not the husband that others strived to emulate.

“Not the loving man that everyone knew and loved.

“Not the man who helped other victims of sexual assault… [with] her healing and had given lectures on the effects of abuse.”

“Gap” between personalities

Judge Peter McGrath noted that Sorby was highly regarded in the community at the time he repeatedly sexually abused the teenager.

“There is a huge gap between the public portrayal of a person like Mr Sorby, as people know him, and the crimes for which he is on trial,” said Judge McGrath.

The court heard that Sorby dressed the victim in his wife's lacy underwear and took photographs of it and took her twice to get the morning-after pill after the abuse.

“Calculated in secret”

Judge McGrath told the court that the church's former youth leader also told her to 'look at my Adam costume' and on another occasion he showed her a DVD of sexualised dance moves while showing the victim his penis.

“The crime was entirely calculated and took place in secret over a period of at least 20 months,” he said.

“He was helping people in the community while he committed these callous crimes.

“He has deviated far from his claims as a religious person.”

The judge assumed that there was remorse and that a repeat offense was unlikely.

Sorby will be eligible for parole in 2032.