A former church minister who sexually abused a boy twice, including at a Christian youth camp held at the man's home, has been jailed.
Christopher Coleborn was working as a minister at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Burkes Bridge near Cohuna in northern Victoria, when he met the 13-year-old boy, who cannot be named.
He sexually abused the boy twice, once while he was sleeping at Coleborn's house in the late 1990s.
The morning after getting in bed with the boy, Coleborn told him: "Even adults make mistakes and if I have done anything to hurt you I am sorry."
Five years later, Coleborn abused him a second time while he was on a church youth camp at the offender's home.
The victim was then aged 18 and awoke in the middle of the night to find Coleborn lying next to him in bed, on the first night of the camp.
He reacted immediately and hit Coleborn in the face with his arm, before confronting the church minister about his actions.
Coleborn admitted he had "a real problem" and had been seeing a psychologist since the first incident.
In 2013, the victim opened up to his wife about the abuse and he told the church about it in 2020.
He met with a pastor and two church elders, and provided a statement to church members about the two incidents.
A month later, Coleborn met with the pastor and admitted his offending, with the church removing him from the ministry.
He also sent his victim an email where he said he did not abuse anyone else, called a family meeting to inform his wife and children, and emailed his victim's father and brother to apologise.
The abuse was reported to police in 2021, Coleborn was arrested in Tasmania the following year and extradited to Victoria.
He was granted bail in August 2022 but was taken back into custody last month at a pre-sentence hearing.
Coleborn pleaded guilty to sexually abusing the boy when he was a child under his care, supervision or authority, and indecent assault.
Judge Simon Moglia found he offended against the boy because he "admired his qualities" and was trying to suppress his same sex attraction.
But he said Coleborn's offending was "more than a mere slip" due to his position as a leader in the church, and since he abused the boy a second time years later.
"Children must be protected from the harm that results from premature sexual activity and adults must be deterred from even thinking about sexual activity with a child," Judge Moglia told the County Court on Friday.
He jailed the 76-year-old for up to three years and eight months, with a minimum of 23 months before he can apply for parole.
He has already served 23 days of his sentence.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
