Former NSW MP Rory Amon Faces Trial Over Alleged Sexual Abuse of Teen
In a high-profile case at the NSW Supreme Court, former state MP Rory Amon, 36, has pleaded not guilty to multiple criminal charges involving the alleged sexual abuse of a 13-year-old boy in 2017. The trial has heard emotional testimony from the now-22-year-old alleged victim, who described significant mental health struggles following the incidents.
Alleged Victim Details Trauma and Age Misrepresentation
The alleged victim testified that he met Amon on a gay hook-up site, communicating via Snapchat before arranging two meetings in a car park bathroom at a Sydney apartment complex. He told the jury that, as a 13-year-old, he did not fully understand the first encounter was intended for sexual purposes. "I was 13 – I didn't really have a script for this kind of experience," he stated, adding that he was developmentally unprepared for sex with someone twice his age.
After the alleged incidents, the young man messaged a friend on Instagram, expressing anxiety and physical symptoms. "I feel like I was exposed to all of this way too early and it's kind of hard to process," he wrote. "My anxiety about it is that bad and I get stomach pains." He admitted to lying about his age on the dating site, which required users to be over 18, and later presenting himself as 15 to Amon.
Defense Challenges and Courtroom Disputes
Amon's barrister, Matthew Johnston SC, suggested that Amon had accurately listed his age as 27 on the dating site, not 17 as the complainant testified. The alleged victim firmly denied this, stating, "I am certain that that is not true." Johnston also proposed that the complainant had communicated being 17 years old, which the alleged victim also contested.
The court heard that the pair allegedly met twice in the communal bathroom, where sexual acts including kissing, touching, and intercourse are said to have occurred. Amon admits to one meeting but denies a second visit, a claim the alleged victim disputed. "My memory serves me right ... there were two incidents," he told jurors. "The second occasion did not appear out of thin air."
Legal Charges and Delayed Complaint
The complainant disclosed the alleged assaults to his teacher, psychiatrist, parents, and friends in 2017 but did not file a formal police complaint until years later, after Amon became a local councillor and the boy realized his true identity. Amon has pleaded not guilty to 10 charges, including five counts of having sexual intercourse with a child, two counts of attempted sexual intercourse with a child, and indecent assault charges.
The trial continues, with the jury examining detailed evidence from both sides. This case highlights ongoing legal battles involving public figures and allegations of sexual misconduct, drawing attention to issues of consent and age verification in online interactions.
