Colin Stewart Hoyle, 64, was sentenced to a total of five years in prison last Thursday after he pleaded guilty to three charges of sexual penetration of a person with cognitive disability while being a worker with the disabled.

In the Melbourne County Court yesterday, Judge Peter Wischusen placed Hoyle on the registry for 10 years for the crimes he committed on a Yooralla client while he worked as a supervisor at the Benalla-based disability organisation.

Hoyle could be released as soon as 2018.

“You will still pose a risk to the sexual safety of members of the public and the complainant in particular,” Mr Wischusen said.

The County Court in Wangaratta heard last week Hoyle was “infatuated” with the 29-year-old intellectually disabled woman and believed they were lovers despite her having no real capacity to behave as a lover.

The court heard Hoyle had sex with the victim at her parents’ house while they were away and in a Benalla motel.

Even after his arrest three years ago, Mr Wischusen said yesterday Hoyle’s self-justification and denial of his persistent offending remained unchanged.

The crimes were exposed in January 2012 when the victim’s father discovered she was absent, later finding out she was at a Benalla motel with Hoyle.

The court heard concerns had been raised in March 2011 about Hoyle’s affectionate and sometimes inappropriate behaviour towards the victim.

After a meeting with management he was cautioned about inappropriate contact.

Mr Wischusen said in sentencing yesterday that it was “a matter of great regret” that Hoyle was not sacked at that time.