Dylan Pedler and Joel Pace charged with sexually assaulting two children in Whyalla
Two girls, aged 14 and 16, were picked up by men double their age, who then gave them drugs before sexually assaulting them, a court has heard.
Upper Spencer Gulf
Don't miss out on the headlines from Upper Spencer Gulf. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Two underage girls were picked up by men double their age, who allegedly gave them drugs and alcohol before abusing them, a court has heard.
Dylan Pedler, 29, and Joel Lloyd Pace, 32, applied to have their home detention bail conditions removed in the Adelaide District Court.
Georgina Grosset, for the prosecution, opposed the application, due to the men’s “significant history” and for the safety of the alleged victims.
The court heard the alleged victims, aged 14 and 16 at the time, were outside on July 7, 2021 when one of the men asked them if they wanted to get into the car.
“It is at that stage that it is suggested that the driver provided them with a name of Daniel, of which they understood may have been a fake name,” Ms Grosset said.
The court heard CCTV footage showed Mr Pedler picking up alcohol, before the group attended Mr Pace’s residence.
“It is then alleged, while not charged, that the complainants were provided with drugs, potentially methamphetamine or MDMA,” Ms Grosset said.
“They were also provided with alcoholic beverages.”
The court heard the 14-year-old was taken into Mr Pace’s bedroom where he allegedly sexually assaulted her.
“It is also alleged that the complainant told him to stop and he put his hands over her mouth and that he also held her by the throat for approximately 10 seconds,” Ms Grosset said.
The court heard DNA belonging to the 14-year-old was found on Mr Pace’s bedsheets.
The 14-year-old went back to the other room and saw the other alleged victim wasn’t there.
“On that complainant’s (the 16-year-old) account she was taken to the back room or shed area,” Ms Grosset said.
“It is then that she alleged that who we say is Mr Pedler was suggesting words to the effect of ‘just let me f*** you’.
“He forcibly turned the complainant around and placed her on a washing machine.”
The court heard Mr Pedler then allegedly sexually assaulted the child.
Ms Grosset said the prosecution case was “extremely strong”, as Mr Pedler’s DNA was found in the 16-year-old’s underwear and DNA belonging to the 14-year-old was found on Mr Pace’s bedsheets.
Mr Pace, of Whyalla, and Mr Pedler, of Whyalla Norrie, are charged with three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a person under 17 years.
Timothy Blake, for Mr Pace, asked for freedom of movement during the day as he had just started a fitness training business.
“He has got about 10 or 12 clients that currently have to come to his residence and even that is a bit problematic because the shed where they have got a bit of a gym set up, there is a problem with the GPS signal bouncing around the iron of the shed,” he said.
Taylor Falting, for Mr Pedler, agreed a curfew would be suitable, so he could work as a concreter and take his children to school.
Ms Falting told the court Mr Pedler’s partner was due to give birth to their child this month.
Chief Judge Michael Evans said it wasn’t appropriate to further relax the men’s conditions and adjourned the charges until August for arraignment, with a trial date to be set.
Whyalla’s desperate call for lifeline as GFG’s debt hurts businesses
The refusal of Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG to meet its debts to dozens of contractors in Whyalla is hurting the economic fabric of the city.
Staying alive: $9m spent on office staff to keep hydrogen project afloat
Taxpayers are spending around $23m to keep the state’s hydrogen office in business, while the number of staff in the office has grown at a cost of $9m.