Former Liberal MP Rory Amon has admitted to having sex with a 13-year-old boy in a 'dirty, hidden car park toilet' in Sydney in July 2017, but his defence argues the teenager lied about his age. The trial at the NSW Supreme Court heard on Tuesday that Amon, then 27, met the boy on a gay dating website where users must be over 18.
Defence barrister Matthew Johnston SC told the jury the alleged victim admitted lying about his age when signing up to the website and again when chatting to Amon. 'This is not a case ... where there is an adult who's on a chatroom that's frequented by 13-year-olds and is tricking them into a meeting,' Johnston said. He argued Amon would have ceased contact if the boy had revealed his true age.
However, crown prosecutor Meaghan Fleeton urged the jury to reject Amon's claim that he believed the teen was above the age of consent. She said it would have been obvious to Amon when they met in person that the boy was under 16. 'Using your common sense and experience, you may have very little difficulty finding this accused is guilty,' she said.
The alleged victim, now in his 20s, testified that he had no sexual experience at the time. Fleeton described the encounter as occurring in a 'dirty, hidden car park toilet' where the boy had his first sexual experience. The complainant first identified Amon in 2020 through a COVID-19 announcement when Amon was a councillor.
Amon, now 36, has pleaded not guilty to 10 charges including child sexual abuse, child rape, and indecent assault. He admits meeting the boy once for sex but denies a second alleged meet-up. The trial continues.
