A Bundaberg Indigenous leader has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for "persistent" offending.

Kerry Blackman, 69, the former chief executive of the Gidarjil Development Corporation, was convicted in Bundaberg District Court last week of four sexual assault charges.

The two-day trial heard Mr Blackman's offending took place between 2017 and 2023 and involved a girl who cannot be named for legal reasons.

One of the most aggressive and violent interactions involved Mr Blackman locking a door, grabbing the woman by the head and kissing her, the ABC reports.

"It has taken away a sense of stability ... my sense of trust, dignity and belonging in my whole community," the woman said in her victim statement on Monday.

"I no longer recognise the woman I was."

The Crown submitted that Mr Blackman — whose position at Gidarjil was terminated after the charges were laid — showed no remorse for his offending, which it labelled "opportunistic".

Judge John Allen said his offending was an abuse of power, the ABC reported, and noted that it was "persistent and protracted".

Noting that Mr Blackman had no previous offending and had made contributions to the community, Judge Allen sentenced him to 18 months' imprisonment.

He will be eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence.

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