A man's four-year prison sentence for sexually abusing his partner's underage daughter was confirmed on appeal.

The Appeals Court rejected the accused's claim that the evidence against him was not conclusive. It also gave short shrift to the accused's claim that suggestive comments he used to pass were jokes misinterpreted as some form of sexual abuse.

The Appeals Court, presided by Judge Neville Camilleri, also rejected the accused's argument that the punishment he had been handed down exceeded the limits provided by law.

The court rejected all the points raised by the accused, ruling that the four-year prison term handed down by the Magistrate's Court was well within the law and not manifestly excessive.

The man had been charged with several counts of sexual abuse on his partner's daughter for the duration of their relationship.

The victim was friends with the accused's daughter, and the two would often have sleep-overs. When the victim was around nine years of age, the accused had asked her to sleep in the same room as him.

The victim recounted that she remembered waking up that night to her friend's father's head on her chest with his hand down her trousers and touching her intimately. The day after the incident, the victim confronted her abuser and he asked her not to tell anyone about what happened between them.

At this point, the accused had started an intimate relationship with the nine-year-old girl's mother. During their relationship, the appellant was often at his partner's house, where the young girl also lived.

Until around April of 2020, the accused would continue to sexually abuse his partner's daughter. The court had heard how he touched her inappropriately and made various disturbing comments on the daughter's physical development.

The young girl spoke to her guidance teacher, telling her about the abuse that was taking place at home. Upon hearing this, the teacher referred the matter to the police.

The Appeals Court decided that the victim's version was consistent and credible, and agreed with the decision reached by the first court, confirming the four-year jail term.