Former New South Wales Liberal MP Rory Amon has been found guilty of raping and indecently assaulting a 13-year-old boy inside a car park toilet, after a jury took just four hours to reach its verdict.
The 37-year-old former member for Pittwater and Northern Beaches councillor faced a one-week trial in the NSW Supreme Court on one count each of sexual intercourse with a person aged between 10 and 14 and indecently assaulting a child. The jury heard evidence over four days before retiring late Thursday afternoon and returning its verdict on Friday.
Amon’s case was the second trial over the charges, after the first jury could not decide. In that trial, which began in February, the jury found him not guilty of eight other charges relating to the same teenager over an alleged second meeting. The Crown accepted the jury were not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that there was a second meeting during which sexual activity occurred. The jury was deadlocked on two charges relating to the first meeting, which were the ones retried this week.
The court heard Amon connected with the teenager on an adult hookup app in 2017. He was working for then-federal MP for Mackellar Jason Falinski and campaigning for council preselection. He used a fake name on his online profile. The pair moved to the message-deleting app Snapchat, where they exchanged messages and explicit photos.
Once they agreed to meet, the boy told his parents he was going for a run and arranged to meet Amon outside their apartment block. They walked through a communal courtyard, to a downstairs carpark and into a toilet. The court heard they began kissing before Amon placed the complainant’s hand on his own penis through his tracksuit pants. Amon then pulled down his own pants and underwear and caused the 13-year-old to perform oral sex.
The teenager’s case was that he believes he told Amon he was 15. Amon did not dispute sexual activity occurred inside the toilet but argued the boy told him he was 17.
The second trial relied on pre-recorded evidence given by the complainant in the first trial. He testified that at the time he connected with Amon online, he felt lonely and thought he would meet a romantic partner. He said he did not entirely comprehend that sexual acts would take place when they met in person as he was “developmentally not ready”.
The jury were told the pair promptly parted ways and the boy told various people about what happened, including a teacher who made a mandatory report to police. The court heard that in about 2020 or 2021, the complainant learnt of Amon’s identity when a photo of him circulated online; before then he knew only his Snapchat name. In 2022, the then 18-year-old made a formal report to police. Amon was charged in 2024 and resigned from parliament after his arrest.
Amon was granted and remained on bail throughout his two trials and was not taken into custody following Friday’s verdicts. He will next face the Supreme Court for a sentence hearing on November 27.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- A former state MP has been convicted of serious child sexual offences, raising questions about the vetting of political candidates and the risks posed by adults in positions of trust.
- The case highlights how predators can use anonymous messaging apps to groom and meet minors, with the complainant describing feeling lonely and "developmentally not ready" for a sexual encounter.
- The sentence hearing on November 27 will set a precedent for how the justice system treats offenders who held public office.
Background
Amon was a Liberal Party MP for the seat of Pittwater on Sydney's northern beaches, having previously served as a Northern Beaches councillor. He was arrested in 2024 and resigned from parliament the same year. At the time of the offence in 2017, he was working for federal MP Jason Falinski and campaigning for council preselection. The case first went to trial in February 2026, when the jury acquitted him of eight charges relating to an alleged second meeting with the same teenager but could not agree on two charges concerning the first meeting.
Key Perspectives
The complainant (as reported by the court): Believed he told Amon he was 15. He testified he felt lonely when he connected with Amon online, thought he would meet a romantic partner, and did not fully comprehend sexual acts would take place because he was "developmentally not ready".
Amon's defence (as reported by the court): Amon did not dispute sexual activity occurred but argued the boy told him he was 17.
What to Watch
- The sentence hearing scheduled for November 27, where Justice will determine Amon's punishment.
- Whether the NSW Liberal Party or the parliament will launch any internal review or apology following the conviction.
- Potential civil action or compensation claims by the victim.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 11 supported.
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- SupportedFormer NSW Liberal MP Rory Amon was found guilty of raping a 13-year-old boy in a car park toilet.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Former Liberal MP Rory Amon has been found guilty of raping and indecently assaulting a 13-year-old boy inside a car park toilet after four hours of jury deliberations.”
- Partly supportedAmon was convicted after four hours of jury deliberation over charges relating to a 2017 meeting.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The court heard the former member for Pittwater and Northern Beaches councillor connected with the teenager on an adult hookup app in 2017.”
- SupportedAmon was also found guilty of indecently assaulting the boy.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Former Liberal MP Rory Amon has been found guilty of raping and indecently assaulting a 13-year-old boy inside a car park toilet”
- SupportedThe jury took four hours to reach its verdict.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “They returned their verdicts on Friday after just four hours of deliberations.”
- SupportedAmon faced one count each of sexual intercourse with a person aged 10 to 14 and indecently assaulting a child.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The 37-year-old faced a one-week NSW Supreme Court trial on one count each of sexual intercourse with a person aged between 10 and 14 and indecently assaulting a child.”
- SupportedThe jury heard evidence over four days, retired late Thursday and returned its verdict on Friday.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The 12-person jury heard evidence over four days before retiring late on Thursday afternoon. They returned their verdicts on Friday”
- SupportedIn the first trial, the jury found Amon not guilty of eight other charges relating to an alleged second meeting.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “In the first trial, which began in February, the jury found Amon not guilty of eight other charges relating to the same teenager over an alleged second meeting between the pair.”
- SupportedThe Crown accepted the jury was not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that there was a second meeting involving sexual activity.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The Crown accepted the jury were not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that there was a second meeting during which sexual activity occurred.”
- SupportedThe first jury was deadlocked on two charges relating to the first meeting.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The jury was deadlocked on two charges relating to the first meeting between Amon and the 13-year-old.”
- SupportedThe court heard that Amon caused the 13-year-old to perform oral sex.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Amon then pulled down his own pants and underwear and caused the 13-year-old to perform oral sex.”
- SupportedThe complainant said he was “developmentally not ready” for sexual acts when they met.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “He said he did not entirely comprehend that sexual acts would take place when they met in person as he was “developmentally not ready”.”
- SupportedAmon remained on bail and was not taken into custody after the verdicts.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “Amon was granted and remained on bail throughout his two trials and was not taken into custody following Friday’s verdicts.”