Former MasterChef Australia finalist Paul Douglas Frost will serve a minimum of 24 years in prison for committing 43 sexual offenses against 11 children while working as a swimming coach in Sydney, Australia.
The verdict, delivered on Thursday by Judge Sarah Huggett in the Downing Center District Court in Sydney, came more than four years after Frost’s arrest.
Judge Huggett imposed a maximum sentence of 32 years, noting that Frost’s crimes spanned more than a decade and involved children as young as 10.
He highlighted the “increasing severity and brazenness” of the crimes, emphasizing that Frost moved from one victim to another at will.
Frost, a contestant on the first season of the Network Ten show, was found guilty on June 14 of sexually abusing 10 boys and one girl during the 1990s and 2000s.
Former MasterChef Australia finalist Paul Douglas Frost was found guilty of committing 43 sexual offenses against 11 children while working as a swimming coach in Sydney.10 play
The youngest victim was nine or 10 years old when the abuse began, while the oldest was abused until she was 16 years old.
Judge Huggett declared that Frost had shown no remorse for his actions, ruling out character references that portrayed him as a protector of young people.
“There is no evidence that allows me to conclude that he is remorseful or remorseful,” he said.
Frost, who appeared via audio-visual link from Shortland Correctional Centre, showed minimal reaction to the sentence.
Frost believed he was the son of renowned swimming coach Doug Frost, who guided Ian Thorpe to Olympic success.
However, he was the son of a family friend and did not learn the identity of his biological father until he was 40 years old.
The youngest victim was nine or 10 years old when the abuse began, while the oldest was abused until she was 16. NSW Police
Most of Frost’s offenses occurred at his swimming school in Sydney’s southwest, in various locations including the changing rooms, skate rooms, pool and terrace.
Victims’ testimonies detailed Frost’s manipulation, encouraging explicit discussions about sex and masturbation, which eventually led to inappropriate physical contact.
The court heard accounts of Frost forcing victims to secrecy after the assaults.
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Judge Huggett characterized Frost’s crimes as “opportunistic, impulsive and spontaneous,” creating an environment that normalized explicit discussions.
Frost’s legal proceedings faced complications, and a dismissed jury in the first trial in August 2022 due to allegations of intimidation and disputes.
During the second trial, a non-publication order prevented the media from reporting on the evidence until Frost was found guilty.
On Thursday, Judge Huggett said Frost, who was in his 20s during the offending, “created opportunities to be alone” with the victims.
“In addition to manipulating the victims, he manipulated the parents who trusted him with their children,” he added.
Judge Huggett noted that many of the victims did not know what Frost had done was wrong or were afraid they would not be believed if they spoke up.
He said the abuse varied between digital penetration of the genitals, anus, fellatio and touching of the genitals, and encouraging others to swim naked or touch other victims.
Judge Huggett said that while Frost had not committed any offense since 2010, it was unlikely that he would do so due to his rehabilitation as it coincided with the closure of the swimming school.
His prospects for rehabilitation, she said, were “cautious” because he maintained his innocence and lacked any remorse.
Judge Huggett noted that many of the victims did not know what Frost had done was wrong or were afraid they would not be believed if they spoke up. LinkedIn
Despite reaching the final of MasterChef Australia in 2009, Frost’s life went into a downward spiral after a failed food business, subsequent bankruptcy in 2016 and divorce in 2021/2022.
After his arrest in 2019, he lost his jobs at the University of New South Wales and Malabar Public School, ultimately leading to his current incarceration.
Frost’s earliest possible release date is June 3, 2047, and he is currently in protective custody following an assault in July at the Shortland Correctional Center.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn