Update on MP charged with child sex act

A former NSW MP who quit the Liberal Party after he was charged with historic child sex offences won’t return before court until the end of the year.

Roderick “Rory” Gilmore Amon, 35, did not appear before Downing Centre District Court on Thursday as he faces nine child sex charges, including sexual intercourse with someone aged between 10-14.

The serious sex charges relate to an alleged sexual assault in Mona Vale on Sydney’s north shore in July 2017, when police allege the former Pittwater MP assaulted a teenage boy who was known to him.

Mr Amon has indicated he will defend the charges.

Lawyer Lauren McDougal told magistrate Jennifer Price police had served a full brief of evidence while appearing before the packed courtroom, and asked Mr Amon to be excused on the next occasion.

Ms Price said she would “excuse the defendant (Mr Amon) if he is legally represented and the matter is not ready to progress to charge certification” when the matter returns on December 12.

Mr Amon was arrested in late-August at Manly police station following an investigation by NSW Police’s Strike Force Nooral, which was established the same month he was elected to parliament.

He has not entered any pleas but indicated he intends to fight the charges, which include five counts of sexual intercourse with a person aged 10-14 and two charges of indecent assault of a person under 16.

The former northern beaches MP also faces one charge of commit act of indecency with a person under 16 years and two charges of attempting sexual intercourse child with a child aged 10-14.

Mr Amon will remain on strict conditional bail before returning to court, conditions of which include daily reporting to local police, surrendering his passport, and to not contact the alleged victim.

Mr Amon joined the Northern Beaches Council in September 2017 after a career as a family law solicitor specialising in domestic and family violence, before being elected to parliament March, 2023.

In a statement, opposition leader Mark Speakman said he asked for Mr Amon’s immediate resignation over the “extremely serious” allegations, which “strikes at the heart of the standards” of MPs.

“While he is entitled to the presumption of innocence, a criminal trial will be some time away,” he said, adding constituents were entitled to an MP “who can discharge their duties in the community fully”.

In his own statement, Mr Amon said he would “deny all charges” and that the “nature of the charges against me are such that I will be unable to continue to fully represent my community in parliament”.

“The people of Pittwater should have a representative who can dedicate one hundred per cent of their time advocating for this wonderful community,” he said in a statement posted online in August.

“As I defend myself against these charges, I will not be able to devote my full energy to representing them. Thank you to all those who have supported me. It’s been the greatest honour of my life to represent my community.”

Mr Amon had earlier sought to ban the media from reporting on his court matter and details of the allegations; this was later withdrawn following discussions with the NSW Director of Public Prosecution.