A former UWA academic has been handed down a jail sentence over sex crimes he committed against two 15-year-old teenage boys.
The West Australian reported that Malcolm Ernest Greenway was in his early 60’s when he had sexual relations with the pair at his Innaloo home in 2011 and 2012.
In handing down a prison sentence of six months District Court Judge Martin Flynn said he understood that Greenway honestly believed the boys were adults, but he should have seen the signs that the bous were underage.
“Your confidence, objectively, was misplaced,” the judge said.
“As a mature adult, you ought to know that a child who engages in sexual activity before the child has the emotional maturity to appreciate the emotional significance of sexual activity, is at risk of suffering emotional harm at some stage in the future.
“The policy and purpose underpinning the criminalisation of sexual activity with children includes the protection of children from themselves.” the judge said.
He sentenced Greenway to two years’ imprisonment, with the first six months to be served immediately and the balance to be suspended for 18 months.
Greeway was previously an adjunct professor at UWA in the School of Engineering. He pleaded guilty to the charges. The court heard that he met the first boy on a dating app which required the users to declare that they were over 18, the first boy introduced him to the second.
