A teenage boy has been warned he would have gone to jail for groping a teenage girl in a confined workplace if he was 18 years old.
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The boy, who was under the age of consent, cannot be identified due to his age and a court-issued non-publication order.
He appeared before magistrate David Day in Orange Children's Court for sentencing.
The court heard the two teenagers were working together in a confined space when the boy touched her sexually.
"He took advantage of the situation and behaved very badly," Mr Day said.
"She doesn't need to turn up to work and be touched and grabbed, that's not what you go to work for."
Solicitor Mason Manwaring said the assault was opportunistic but the negative response left an indelible mark on the boy's mind.
"He thought it was consensual, of course it wasn't," Mr Manwaring said.
"When one looks at the CCTV the victim has clearly given signals that it wasn't [consensual]."
Police prosecutor Sergeant Beau Riley emphasised the seriousness of sexual assault offences.
"If he was a day over 18 I would be asking for jail," Sergeant Riley said.
"That request would be hard to turn down," Mr Day said.
Because the boy was 15 years of age and the age of consent is 16, Mr Day said he would not receive a conviction.
"He's got to understand the impact on the girl," Mr Day said.
"He persists, he shouldn't be touching her. He better learn his lesson or he will be in serious trouble."
The likelihood of the boy reoffending was assessed as "extremely low" and he was given a two-year supervised bond without a conviction.
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