A former New South Wales Liberal MP may face a second trial on child sex charges after a jury cleared him of eight offences but failed to reach verdicts on two further counts. Rory Amon, 36, was found not guilty of four counts of child rape, two of attempted child rape, and two of indecent assault following a trial in the NSW Supreme Court.
The jury deliberated for three days before returning the partial verdict on Monday. Amon kept his eyes downcast as the not-guilty findings were read, but later hugged his barrister with a large grin. He had pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied any criminal conduct.
The charges related to an encounter with a 13-year-old boy in 2017, whom Amon met on an adults-only website. Amon testified that he held an honest and reasonable belief the boy was over 16, having been told he was 17. The boy had inflated his age on the gay hook-up app and during their conversation.
The pair moved to Snapchat, exchanged explicit messages and images, and later met at the boy’s apartment block. They had sex in a small, dirty bathroom under the building. The Crown argued that Amon must have realised the boy was underage after seeing him in explicit photos, under street lights, and in a lit bathroom before the light was turned off. Amon insisted nothing he saw changed his belief.
Amon was arrested in August 2024, shortly after being elected to the seat of Pittwater in March 2023. The charges ended his political career: he was expelled from the Liberal Party and resigned from parliament. His exit led to the loss of the formerly safe seat to a teal independent at a byelection.
The jury could not reach verdicts on one count of rape and one of indecent assault. Prosecutors will now decide whether to seek a retrial on those charges.
