Accused paedophile barrister Mark Dennis asked Cambodian woman to help find 'virgins', ABC investigation finds

Former Sunrise Cambodia chairman sent explicit texts and video; police investigate his network across borders

By LineZotpaper AI staff

Published24 October 2026

Read Time3 min

A prominent Australian barrister charged with possessing child abuse material and later found dead had a longstanding relationship with the celebrated children's charity Sunrise Cambodia, where he served as chairman, an ABC investigation has revealed, including text messages in which he asked a former employee to help find virgins.

Warning: This article contains references to child sexual abuse and suicide.

Mark Dennis SC was arrested at Sydney Airport in January and charged with possessing and transmitting child abuse material. Weeks later, before entering a formal plea, he was found dead in his home. The ABC has now detailed his connections to Sunrise Cambodia, where he was chairman from 2018 to 2020.

A former Sunrise employee, referred to as Akara, told the ABC that Dennis sent her a video of himself having sex with a Cambodian person and repeatedly asked her to find a young virgin for him. "I feel horrible," she said. "I'm still thinking 'Why, why, why'. It's disgusting." She did not report the messages to Sunrise or police. The ABC verified the texts came from Dennis's legal work number.

The investigation, codenamed Operation Queenstown, involves Australian and Cambodian national police jointly examining Dennis's network, including his ties to Sunrise. Dennis sponsored children at the orphanage, regularly visited, and maintained close relationships with some after they left.

Former Sunrise employees have alleged inappropriate behaviour by Dennis, including sexual harassment of a worker, excessive touching of teenage girls, and entering children's dormitories. None of these allegations were reported to Sunrise at the time.

A Sunrise spokesperson said police had confirmed that no current or former Sunrise child had been identified as a victim. "We take child protection extremely seriously. Sunrise operates under Cambodian, Australian and international child protection standards, is independently audited, and any concern raised by a child or graduate is followed up thoroughly," the spokesperson said.

Documents obtained by the ABC show Sunrise was aware of misconduct allegations against three employees, including a historical rape allegation against a former employee who had previously received a final warning for sexual misconduct. Sunrise declined to comment on specific actions taken, citing privacy, and said some allegations did not align with its records.

Rob Madsen, Sunrise's operations manager from 2008 to 2012, described a "revolving door" of visitors and sponsors who felt entitled to take children off-site. He introduced stricter rules after arriving. "Australians have come to Cambodia for the sole purpose of harming children, sexually abusing a child," he said. Madsen called for an independent investigation run by Cambodian experts into Dennis's role.

Maggie Eno, co-founder of Cambodian children's charity M'Lop Tapang, said the case raised awareness about unsafe practices that "goes on a lot sadly" and questioned the ongoing need for orphanages. "We're not post-Khmer Rouge anymore, where there really genuinely was so many orphans. The need is for family-based care, community-based care," she said.

If you or anyone you know needs help: Lifeline on 131 114, Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636, 13 YARN on 13 92 76, Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467, MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The case raises serious questions about child protection practices at high-profile international charities and the oversight of adults with access to vulnerable children.
It highlights the potential for orphanages in Cambodia to be exploited by offenders, and the need for a shift toward family- and community-based care.
The cross-border police investigation suggests a wider network may be involved, with implications for other organisations working with children in the region.

Background

Mark Dennis SC was a prominent Australian barrister. He was arrested at Sydney Airport in January 2026 and charged with possessing and transmitting child abuse material. He died at his home before his case could proceed. Dennis had been chairman of Sunrise Cambodia, a well-known charity founded by Geraldine Cox that operates orphanages and education programs for disadvantaged children in Cambodia. The ABC investigation examined his communications and relationships with staff and children connected to the charity.

Key Perspectives

Akara (former Sunrise employee): Received explicit text messages and a video from Dennis, who asked her to find a young virgin. She said she felt "horrible" and did not report the messages. Sunrise Cambodia spokesperson: Police have told the charity that no current or former Sunrise child has been identified as a victim. The spokesperson said Sunrise follows rigorous child protection standards and any allegation is thoroughly investigated. Rob Madsen (former Sunrise operations manager): Described a culture of unrestricted visitor access to children and called for an independent investigation into Dennis's role at the charity. Maggie Eno (co-founder, M'Lop Tapang): Said the case highlights unsafe practices across the sector and argued that orphanages are no longer needed in Cambodia, advocating for family-based care instead.

What to Watch

The outcome of Operation Queenstown, the joint Australian-Cambodian police investigation into Dennis's network.
Whether Sunrise Cambodia commissions an independent external review of its child protection policies and past handling of allegations.
Potential further disclosures from former employees or children who may have been affected, as the ABC investigation continues to gather accounts.

Sources

Accused paedophile barrister asked Cambodian woman to help find 'virgins' · ABC News

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 8 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedThe headline says Mark Dennis asked a Cambodian woman to help find “virgins”.Just In: “Mark Dennis: Do you know any Cambodian girl who speaks English and wants to find a husband? How old? And be English speaking? Mark Dennis: Young is good 😂 Mark Dennis: I prefer virgin of course 😂🥰”
SupportedThe summary says Dennis, a former Sunrise chairman, sent explicit texts and a video, and police are investigating his network across borders.Just In: “The ABC has revealed Australian and Cambodian national police are still jointly investigating Dennis's network, including his links to Sunrise, in a cross-border investigation codenamed Operation Queenstown.”
Partly supportedDennis was charged with possessing and transmitting child abuse material and found dead before entering a formal plea.Just In: “In January, Dennis was charged with possessing and transmitting child abuse material, but he was found dead in his home before facing trial.”
SupportedDennis was Sunrise chairman from 2018 to 2020.Just In: “An ABC investigation has uncovered Dennis's longstanding relationship with celebrated children's charity Sunrise Cambodia, where he was chairman from 2018 to 2020.”
Partly supportedAkara said Dennis sent her a video of himself having sex with a Cambodian person and repeatedly asked her to find a young virgin.Just In: “Mark Dennis: Do you know any Cambodian girl who speaks English and wants to find a husband? How old? And be English speaking? Mark Dennis: Young is good 😂 Mark Dennis: I prefer virgin of course 😂🥰”
SupportedAkara said, “I feel horrible,” and, “I'm still thinking 'Why, why, why'. It's disgusting.”Just In: “"I feel horrible," she told the ABC. "I'm still thinking 'Why, why, why'. It's disgusting."”
SupportedThe ABC verified that the texts came from Dennis’s legal work number.Just In: “The ABC has reviewed the metadata to verify the text messages were sent from the same number Dennis used for his legal work.”
SupportedAustralian and Cambodian national police are jointly investigating Dennis’s network, including his ties to Sunrise, under Operation Queenstown.Just In: “The ABC has revealed Australian and Cambodian national police are still jointly investigating Dennis's network, including his links to Sunrise, in a cross-border investigation codenamed Operation Queenstown.”
SupportedFormer Sunrise employees alleged Dennis sexually harassed a worker, excessively touched teenage girls and entered children’s dormitories.Just In: “Former Sunrise employees have alleged inappropriate behaviour by Dennis, including sexual harassment of an employee, excessive touching of teenage girls and entering children's dormitories.”
Partly supportedA Sunrise spokesperson said police confirmed no current or former Sunrise child had been identified as a victim.Just In: “A spokesperson for Sunrise said police had informed the charity that no current or former Sunrise child had been identified as one of Dennis's victims.”
SupportedDocuments showed Sunrise knew of misconduct allegations against three employees, including a historical rape allegation against a former employee who had previously received a final warning for sexual misconduct.Just In: “Sunrise was made aware of allegations of misconduct, including against two former Sunrise employees and one current employee. The claims include one historical allegation of rape by a former employee against a Sunrise girl, after being given a "final warning" for sexual misconduct years earlier.”
Partly supportedEno said, “We're not post-Khmer Rouge anymore, where there really genuinely was so many orphans. The need is for family-based care, community-based care.”Just In: “"We're not post-Khmer Rouge anymore, where there really genuinely was so many orphans. The need is not there. The need is for family-based care, community-based care," she said.”