Dylan Pedler pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexually assaulting a child in Whyalla

A man has pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting a child on a washing machine, after police allege she was picked up off the street and plied with drugs by his co-accused.

A man has denied picking up underage girls alongside his co-accused before allegedly “forcibly” sexually assaulting one on a washing machine.

Dylan Pedler, 29, pleaded not guilty in the Port Augusta District Court last week to three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse.

“I am foreshadowing that there will be an application by my client for separate trials,” Craig Caldicott, for Mr Pedler, said.

Timothy Blake, told the court Mr Pedler’s co-accused, Joel Lloyd Pace, 32, had been remanded in custody and his pleas would need to be adjourned.

Mr Pace is accused of supplying the children with drugs before the alleged sexual assaults took place.

Chief Judge Michael Evans declined to remove the men’s home detention bail conditions in June, after hearing the serious allegations.

Georgina Grosset, for the prosecution, told the Adelaide District Court at the time 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 … that the complainants were provided with drugs, potentially methamphetamine or MDMA,” Ms Grosset said.

“They were also provided with alcoholic beverages.”

Dylan Pedler. Photo: Facebook

Joel Pace. Picture: Facebook

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, is charged with two counts of supplying a drug to a child and three counts of unlawful sexual intercourse.

Both men will appear in the Port Augusta District Court again next week, where Mr Pace will enter his pleas.