Jake Sullivan, 25, approaches the ACT Courts on Friday. Photo: Albert McKnight.
CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to sexual abuse.
A young man demonstrated an attitude of “self-centred entitlement” before he sexually assaulted a fellow cadet at Canberra’s military academy, a judge has said.
Jake Sullivan was found guilty of two counts of sexual intercourse without consent and one count of assault at the end of an ACT Supreme Court jury trial last year.
He and the woman both attended the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) when they matched on the dating app Tinder and began a short casual sexual relationship, Justice Belinda Baker said.
In March 2022, the then-22-year-old Sullivan saw the woman again during a night out in Civic and they agreed to return to ADFA together.
They went to the woman’s room at the academy and had consensual sex.
But Sullivan began pulling her hair and grabbing her body, leaving bruises. He then digitally raped her and had intercourse with her without her consent.
The woman said she froze and blankly stared at him. She was scared he could get more aggressive and didn’t know what to do.
She told the court the attack had impacted her mental health, job and sense of worth.
During the now-25-year-old’s sentencing on Wednesday (16 July), Justice Baker said the woman had told him he was hurting her after the assaults.
She said Sullivan had told the woman something like, “You’re the one who invited me over and you couldn’t even make me c-m”, which demonstrated an attitude of “self-centred entitlement” towards her.
Jack Sullivan (left) approaches court with his solicitor, Mitchell Greig of Hugo Law Group. Photo: Albert McKnight.
The judge said the woman made it abundantly clear she didn’t want to have sex and he prioritised his own sexual gratification over hers.
“His sense of entitlement occasioned far-reaching harm to the victim,” she said.
Justice Baker said Sullivan’s promising military career had been compromised by his convictions and he had already been suspended without pay from the military.
He has been living in Queensland with his parents, where he worked for a flooring company.
The judge said he hadn’t shown any remorse, but was a young man with no prior criminal convictions who had been deeply affected by his trial.
She said the offending may be explained in part by his lack of emotional maturity and took into account how he would have to serve his jail sentence far from his family and support network.
Sullivan was sentenced to three years and three months’ jail, suspended after he spent 15 months behind bars. This means he will be released from custody in October 2026.
He had no visible reaction when he heard he would be sent to jail.
While Sullivan was accused of committing more offences against the woman after the above assaults, the jury found him not guilty of these later allegations.
He claimed the sex was consensual, denied injuring her and denied any acts of digital penetration.
He has already launched an appeal against his three convictions, arguing the jury’s verdicts are irreconcilable, and has maintained his innocence.
The appeal will be heard on 8 August.
After he was sentenced, his lawyers began to apply to stay his sentencing and for him to be granted bail ahead of his appeal, but withdrew this application at the last minute.
If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732. Help and support are also available through the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 02 6247 2525, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT 02 6280 0900, the Sexual Violence Legal Services on 6257 4377 and Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call Triple Zero.
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