Panagiotis Toumazos, Fish Factory heir had child sex offences dismissed in court
A South Australian seafood heir has walked free after the court dismissed multiple child sexual abuse allegations against him.
North & North East
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A famous South Australia seafood heir walked free from court after he had multiple child sexual abuse allegations dismissed.
Panagiotis Toumazos, a member of the well-known Toumazos family of Fish Factory fame, was initially charged with making a child amenable to sexual activity, procuring a child for sexual activity and having sexual intercourse with a person under 14.
However on Wednesday, Chief Magistrate Judge Mary-Louise Hribal dismissed the charges in the Adelaide Magistrates Court, after no charge determination was made.
Mr Toumazos, 36, who is known as Yioti or Yotis, was facing his third charge determination date, after prosecution failed to make one on the previous two occasions.
Mr Toumazos, of Prospect, was granted bail on the charges in September – with his bail agreement now cancelled.
Fish Factory is a family owned and run seafood company specialising in crayfish.
It has operated since 1981, where it began in retail, and has expanded to fishing, processing, wholesale, distribution and export.
Mr Toumazos’s family farm, Murrabinna Pastoral, operates out of Kingston SE.
There is no suggestion either company or other family members were associated with the charges against Mr Toumazos.
The charges against Mr Toumazos came after another seafood heir, Marcus Carlo Cappo, faced the Elizabeth Magistrates Court for separate proceedings for a slew of child sexual abuse charges.
Mr Cappo, 19, is charged with 25 separate counts including seven of procuring a child for sexual activity, seven of both producing and possessing child exploitation material and a further three counts of disseminating the same form of material.
Mr Cappo is a member of the Cappo Seafood family, which has been a mainstay of the Adelaide Central Markets and operated in SA since 1919.
He will next appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court tomorrow, where he is listed to enter pleas to the charges.
There is no suggestion the charges against Mr Toumazos and Mr Cappo were linked.
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