A 20-year-old man has been found guilty of raping an 18-year-old woman in a secluded forest and molesting two 13-year-old girls. Kobi Shaw, 20, appeared at the Melbourne County Court on Monday after a jury found him guilty of raping and sexually assaulting the 18-year-old in the Canadian State Forest, near Ballarat, earlier this year.
The court heard that Shaw, who appeared via videolink from Hopkins Correctional Centre, a notorious sex offender prison, was unemployed and had been bullied at school for being bad at sport. The victim initially agreed to get into Shaw's car for a catch-up, but he repeatedly begged her for sex. She said she felt pressured and had no choice but to submit to his demands. Shaw raped her twice in a secluded part of the forest. The victim, described as quite small, felt trapped and unable to escape.
During the trial, the jury deliberated on whether she consented or was raped. Shaw's own words during a police interview proved damaging: he told detectives he didn't believe the victim wanted to have sex but thought she was hiding it. The jury found him guilty of rape and sexual assault.
It was revealed in court that Shaw was already on bail for sexual offenses against two 13-year-old girls at the time of the forest rape, though the jury was unaware. He had been using Snapchat to target young girls, luring a 13-year-old to a farm paddock where he sexually assaulted her. The victim had stated her age on social media and begged him to stop, saying it hurt. She later returned home crying.
In September 2023, Shaw contacted the same victim again, suggesting she try sex. When she refused, he lured her to Buninyong Skatepark and assaulted her in a toilet block without a condom. He violated her a third time at a house party in Wendouree, where she was drunk and passed out. She woke to find Shaw undressing her and said she didn't want to do it before losing consciousness. A woman intervened and rescued her.
Shaw also assaulted a second 13-year-old girl he met via Snapchat. He cornered her in his bathroom after a movie, forced himself on her, and covered her mouth when she yelled stop. He then drove her to a dark street and left her alone. The victim later provided police with topless photos Shaw had sent her.
Crown prosecutor Andrew Buckland described the offending as predatory, noting the victims' vulnerabilities and Shaw's planning. He said Shaw treated his victims as objects for his own gratification. The 18-year-old rape victim submitted an impact statement describing painful feelings and loss of security.
Judge Sarah Dawes will sentence Shaw early next month, just before his 21st birthday.
