Collingwood identity Jeffrey ‘Joffa’ Corfe pleads guilty to child sexual abuse
One of the Collingwood Football Club’s most colorful and divisive identities has pleaded guilty to child sex abuse but is unlikely to ever set foot in a prison for the crime.
Jeffrey Corfe, also known as Joffa, today appeared in the County Court of Victoria where he pleaded guilty to one charge of sexually penetrating an underage boy in Coburg in 2005.
The 62-year-old appeared in court by video link from Queensland, coughing and spluttering before he entered his plea.
“Guilty,” he said.
Last week, Corfe applied for a sentence indication hearing, which is where an accused person asks a court what the likely punishment would be if they were to plead guilty.
The County Court said he would receive a 12-month sentence that would be wholly suspended for two years.
“He can call on his good character and in his case his significant contributions to the community in asking for a merciful sentence for what was a one-off event,” Judge Gerard Mullaly said last week.
Corfe, who now lives in Queensland, will return to Melbourne in February next year to face his victim.
Boy assaulted in Corfe’s Coburg home
The County Court previously heard that in 2005, Corfe was contacted by a 14-year-old boy over email.
“The accused said he was 30 years old and if that was too old then that was no problem,” Judge Mullaly said.
The two then met up at Corfe’s house in Coburg.
“Once there he could tell the accused was not around 30 years old but older, and more unkempt,” the judge said.
Corfe then assaulted the boy, who left a short time later.
“He was upset and communicated with the accused that the accused did not match his description,” the judge said.
The County Court heard the boy sent an email to Corfe afterwards.
“The complainant, in that email, said that the accused should not have done what he did to a young person,” the judge said.
“The accused in a return email agreed.”
Judge says Corfe ‘has good character’
Judge Mullaly said there was no question that the victim suffered “significant psychological harm” and noted the 30-year age difference between the two.
Prosecutors had urged the court to jail Corfe but the judge was ultimately unconvinced by their arguments.
Judge Mullaly pointed to the “impressive” material that was filed to the court in support of Corfe.
“It is more than saying he has good character and without any real blemish, before and more importantly, since this offending,” he said.
Prosecutor Matthew Cookson today told the County Court that Corfe’s victim wanted to come face-to-face with his abuser.
“He does wish to read aloud his victim impact statement and expressly wishes Mr Corfe to be there,” he said.
Christopher Terry, who is defending Corfe, said his client would travel.
“He’ll come to Melbourne if he needs to come to Melbourne, your honour,” he said.
Corfe will return to court in February 2023.
