Former Gidarjil CEO sentenced to 18 months for sexual assault of woman in Bundaberg

A woman who was sexually assaulted by Kerry Blackman has told a Queensland court she no longer felt safe and had lost her sense of belonging in the community.

Blackman, the former chief executive of the Gidarjil Development Corporation, was last week convicted in the District Court at Bundaberg of four sexual assault charges that involved aggressive and "persistent" physical advancements on the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The two-day trial heard the offending occurred between 2017 and 2023 and on the first occasion, when she was 23 years old, Blackman confronted her outside a toilet and whispered in her ear before he bit it and grabbed her bottom.

The trial was told that was the start of his sexual advancements, which saw him buying her a gift of lingerie and sending an inappropriate text referring to her bottom in native language.

The court heard the most aggressive and violent interaction involved Blackman locking a door then grabbing the woman by the head and kissing her.

On Monday, the woman sat in the District Court at Bundaberg to deliver her victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing.

She said her life had been "profoundly" changed by the ordeal.

"It has taken away a sense of stability … my sense of trust, dignity and belonging in my whole community," she said.

She said she turned to alcohol to deal with "silent battles with my mental health".

"I used to be a happy, free-spirited woman. That person feels very far from me now," she said.

In her submissions, crown prosecutor Kate Thamm described Blackman's offending as "opportunistic" and said he showed no remorse for his actions.

Blackman was awarded an honorary doctorate from CQ University in 2017 for his commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, but the court heard it was revoked after the criminal charges were laid in 2024.

Defence lawyer Jordan Ahlstrand told the court Blackman's employment at Gidarjil, where he was a founding member, was terminated after the charges.

In handing down the sentence, Judge John Allen said Blackman's offending was "persistent and protracted".

"Your offending was an abuse of power."

He said Blackman had no other criminal history and was "otherwise a person of good character" who made "significant contributions to the community over decades".

The 69-year-old was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment and would be eligible for parole after serving 50 per cent of the sentence.