A 45-year-old fisherman yesterday pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually exploiting his daughter. Senior Crown counsel Carrington Mahoney told Magistrates' Court that on two occasions between September 29, 2006 and December 31, 2007, the defendant exploited his daughter while in a position of trust.

The court heard that on the first occasion the man had custody of his daughter for the day and took her in his boat. The victim fell asleep in the boat and awoke to find her father touching her inappropriately. On the second occasion the man was said to have exposed himself in a sexual way to the young child.

The man was arrested in May 2009 after the child, who would have been six years old at the time of the incidents, told family members, schoolmates and one of her teachers what had happened.

In court yesterday, the man said: "I want to apologise to the court and to my daughter."

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner ordered the man to be remanded in custody until sentencing on February 15. He also ordered a Social Inquiry Report.