Liberal MP charged with child sex offences
Written by admin on August 30, 2024
A sitting NSW MP has resigned from the Liberal Party after he was taken into custody over allegations he sexually assaulted a minor.
Pittwater MP Roderick “Rory” Gilmore Amon, 35, will face Manly Local Court on Friday charged with a slew of sex offences.
Mr Amon is charged with five counts of sexual intercourse with someone aged 10-14, two counts each of attempted sexual intercourse with a child over 10 and indecent assault of someone under 16, and an act of indecency with someone under 16.
In a statement, Liberal opposition leader Mark Speakman said he asked for Mr Amon’s resignation over the “extremely serious” allegations.
“The charges laid against Mr Rory Amon are extremely serious. The alleged conduct strikes at the heart of the standards expected of Members of Parliament,” Mr Speakman said in a statement.
“Upon learning of these charges, I asked for and received Mr Amon’s immediate resignation from the Liberal Party.
“While Mr Amon is entitled to the presumption of innocence, a criminal trial will be some time away and in the meantime the citizens of Pittwater are entitled to have a Member of Parliament who can discharge their duties in the community fully.
“I therefore also asked Mr Amon to resign form the New South Wales Parliament, effective immediately. He has tendered his resignation to the Speaker.”
The former Northern Beaches councillor was in custody as he waited for his court appearance after 2pm Friday.
In court, Mr Amon was granted strict conditional bail where the matter was adjourned to October.
Mr Amon was elected to the seat of Pittwater in Sydney’s north last year, replacing retiring minister Rob Stokes.
In a statement to The Daily Telegraph, police said Mr Amon was charged following an investigation into an alleged sexual assault on Sydney’s Northern Beaches in July 2017.
Detectives attached to the Northern Beaches Police Area Command began the investigation in June 2022.
“Police were told a teenage boy was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man – who was known to him – at an address in Mona Vale,” a police statement said.
“In March 2023, Strike Force NOORAL was established to investigate the incident.
“Following extensive inquiries, a 35-year-old man was arrested at Manly Police Station about 6am today.”
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