'Sexual predator' who strangled girl in woods handed seven years' jail

CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to a child assault.

The predatory stranger who attacked a 12-year-old girl in the woods and strangled her as she rode home from school must spend years in jail for creating what a judge said was “a parent’s worst nightmare”.

Anthony James Kenyon assaulted the girl when she had been riding her bike through Fadden Pines in southern Canberra on 23 February 2022.

The 25-year-old stood as he was sentenced to seven years’ jail with a non-parole period of four years in the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday (5 December).

“A child attacked on her way home from school; it’s just appalling and abhorrent,” Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson told him.

“It’s also a nightmare for the parents, for your parents as well, who had better hopes for you than you becoming a sexual predator.”

The girl had been riding home when she spotted the then-23-year-old Kenyon near her on the path, staring at her, court documents say.

He shoved her off her bike when she passed him. He dragged her off the path, climbed on top of her and squeezed her neck until she lost consciousness, even though she tried to fight him off. He also indecently assaulted her.

Shortly afterwards, a man was walking nearby when he saw someone “flitting furtively” through the bushes. He discovered the unconscious girl lying on the ground and called Triple Zero.

The girl’s father soon collected her from the park. As they were driving off, they passed Kenyon and she said, “That’s him”.

The father pulled over, told Kenyon to wait for police to arrive and punched him before taking a photo of him. Kenyon appeared in court the next day with a large, swollen black eye.

The girl was taken to hospital with facial and neck bruises.

When police looked at Kenyon’s Internet search history, they saw he’d made searches on a pornography website for terms like, “sneak”, “force”, “rape”, “girl” and “little”.

The court has already heard of how the girl had been bullied at school after the attack, with Justice Loukas-Karlsson labelling these bullies “cowards”.

“All the bullying from this incident, guilt and dread has changed me so much and I hate it. It’s the worst feeling I’ve ever felt,” the girl wrote in a statement.

Kenyon’s lawyers had argued the offence was not premeditated but did not disagree with the suggestion that there had been “a pre-existing mindset”.

He said he’d seen a psychologist before the incident and had communicated his attraction to children to them. He had not received any treatment for this.

“It is crucial that when people approach healthcare professionals with concerns about their aberrant thought processes concerning children, that treatment is given as a matter of urgency,” Justice Loukas-Karlsson said.

She called for greater emphasis on preventing offences like this, saying, “We can’t wait until people have offended before we do anything”.

“I recognise that you actively spoke to somebody, to a psychologist, but you should have done more because you have ruined a young girl’s life and this is unacceptable,” the judge told Kenyon.

She also called for greater regulation of the Internet because the “depraved material” the courts had to deal with each day was “depressing”.

Kenyon was bullied and harassed by his peers, and his own mother described him as a “loner”. He also had no previous criminal history, had a certificate in accounting and had lost his job at McDonald’s after he was charged.

He claimed he had little recollection of the incident and said he “never wanted to do something like this again”, but Justice Loukas-Karlsson thought his prospects of rehabilitation were guarded.

The girl was listening to the proceedings, and Justice Loukas-Karlsson addressed her personally, calling her a “very impressive, brave young girl”.

“I know you will not allow this terrible crime to determine your future because you have a great future in front of you,” she told her.

Kenyon pleaded guilty to and was convicted on charges of committing an act of indecency in the second degree and committing an act of indecency on a young person.

His sentence was backdated to account for time served, so he will be eligible to be released in February 2026.

If you or someone you know needs help, you can contact:

Lifeline’s 24-hour crisis support line – 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467
Kids Helpline – 1800 551 800 or kidshelpline.com.au
MensLine Australia – 1300 789 978 or mensline.org.au.