Ex-MasterChef Australia Finalist Jailed For 24 Years For Sexually Abusing Children – News18

A former MasterChef Australia finalist has been jailed for at least 24 years for sexually abusing children while working as a swim coach in Sydney. Paul Douglas Frost, 48, was sentenced on Thursday, more than four years after he was arrested, The Daily Mail reported. He was found guilty of 43 offences over the abuse of 11 children at a swimming school in Sydney’s southwest between 1996 and 2009. Subsequently, he was arrested in September 2019 at his Sylvania home.

A judge at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court imposed a maximum term of 32 years, noting that Frost’s crimes spanned over a decade and involved children as young as 10. On Thursday, the judge concluded that Frost on purpose created a culture that facilitated the crime, including normalising talk of sex among those he was teaching.

“In addition to manipulating the victims, he manipulated the parents who trusted him with their children,” said Judge Sarah Huggett, who delivered the verdict. She pointed out that many of the victims were unaware what Frost did was wrong or feared they wouldn’t believe if they spoke up.

Media reports said that Frost’s youngest victim was nine or 10 years old when the abuse began, while the oldest was molested until the age of 16. Testimonies from victims detailed the 48-year-old’s manipulation, encouraging explicit discussions about sex and masturbation, which eventually led to inappropriate physical contact, The Post said.

“Paul had built a culture of these types of things being normal when we were that age at the swim club,” one of the kids, was quoted as saying by Daily Mail. “I wanted to be one of the boys, I wanted to be one of the cool kids.” Judge Huggett, who heard all the testimonies, described the ex-MasterChef Australia finalist’s crimes as “opportunistic, impulsive, and spontaneous”.

“He moved from one victim to the next as and when he so desired and in doing so corrupted their healthy and normal sexual development,” she said. The judge found that each victim was a reliable witness who gave evidence in court with “dignity and courage”. “It can only be hoped that the finalisation of the proceedings can offer some form of closure to each of the victims of these offences,” she added.

Last August, Frost faced his initial trial, which lasted only 16 days before the jury was discharged due to allegations of bullying and discord. Later, a non-publication order was imposed during the second trial, restricting media coverage of the presented evidence. Throughout this legal process, Frost pleaded not guilty to 43 charges involving 11 complainants. The trial continued until Frost was ultimately found guilty, leading to the lifting of the non-publication order. Three months later, five victims released statements detailing the detrimental impact of his crimes on their lives.