Former State MP Faces Jury Over Alleged Sexual Assault of Teenage Boy
A man who claims he was sexually assaulted as a teenager by a former state member of parliament broke down in tears during a Supreme Court trial on Friday, becoming visibly distressed when shown police photographs of the alleged crime scene. The emotional testimony came as Rory Amon, 36, pleaded not guilty to multiple criminal sexual acts against a 13-year-old boy that are alleged to have occurred in 2017.
Digital Encounter Leads to Physical Meetings
Crown prosecutor Meaghan Fleeton told jurors that Amon, then in his mid-twenties, first communicated with the teenage boy through a gay hook-up website after the adolescent falsely claimed to be older to access a free trial membership. The former MP and the Year 8 high school student, who cannot be legally named, continued their conversations on Snapchat using pseudonyms before allegedly arranging two in-person meetings in June and July of 2017.
The alleged encounters took place at the teenager's apartment building, specifically within a communal bathroom connected to the car park area. During his evidence, the now 22-year-old complainant became overwhelmed with emotion, placing his head in his hands and sobbing when confronted with photographic evidence of the bathroom location.
Explicit Details Emerge in Courtroom Testimony
The alleged victim described feeling excited and giddy about meeting Amon initially, believing the interaction might lead to a romantic connection. He recounted that during their first meeting, Amon arrived wearing grey tracksuit pants, a white Adidas hoodie, and ugg boots before leading him into the bathroom.
"After flushing the toilet and commenting about the smell, he sat on the floor," the jury heard. The prosecution alleges Amon then placed the boy's hand on his genitals before directing him to engage in sexual intercourse.
When asked to provide explicit details of the allegations, the complainant's voice cracked as he questioned whether he had to answer. After being told he must continue, he described feeling "grossed out and repulsed" during the encounters, telling the court: "I wanted it to stop."
Second Alleged Assault and Aftermath
The prosecution outlined a second alleged incident where further sexual assaults occurred while both individuals were standing and then lying on a towel brought by Amon. The former MP allegedly attempted to have sexual intercourse with the teenager before instructing him to perform another sexual act.
Following both meetings, Amon reportedly left first, with the boy waiting alone before returning upstairs to his family's apartment. The teenager eventually blocked Amon on Snapchat after the former politician attempted to arrange a third meeting.
The complainant disclosed the alleged incidents to multiple people in 2017, including his teacher, psychiatrist, parents, and friends. When telling a friend what happened, he mentioned informing Amon he was 15 years old. However, he did not make a formal police complaint until years later when he recognized Amon's real identity after the former MP became a local councillor.
Defence Arguments and Ongoing Proceedings
Defence barrister Matthew Johnston SC told jurors that while Amon admits meeting the teenager on a gay dating app and communicating via Snapchat before visiting his home, he denies knowing the boy was only 13 years old. The defence emphasized that the dating website required users to be at least 18 years old.
"At no point in time did the alleged victim provide Mr Amon with his real age," Johnston stated, arguing that his client had "an honest and reasonable belief" that the complainant was at least 16 years old. The defence characterized this as "an innocent state of mind" and disputed the teenager's account, claiming Amon only visited the apartment building once.
The trial continues with further proceedings scheduled for Monday as the jury considers the evidence presented in this emotionally charged case.
