Child sex accused Marcus Carlo Cappo, Cappo Seafood heir, pleads not guilty to all charges

A SA seafood heir will face trial for a number of child sexual exploitation charges – with the court hearing there may be further alleged victims.

A junior heir to an SA seafood fortune has pleaded not guilty to child sex charges, with the court hearing there may be further alleged victims.

Marcus Carlo Cappo, the great-grandson of the Cappo Seafoods founder, faces a number of child sexual exploitation charges.

In the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday, a prosecutor asked for an adjournment, saying there may be further alleged victims to be linked up with Mr Cappo’s current charges.

Andrew Moffa, for Mr Cappo, also requested an adjournment for the charges, saying the matters could probably be resolved.

Magistrate Simon Smart refused the adjournment, asking Mr Moffa how his client would be pleading.

After taking some time to speak to his client, Mr Moffa said he would be entering not guilty pleas to all charges on Mr Cappo’s behalf.

During a hearing in January, Mr Moffa claimed his client had been prejudiced by media interest in the case and that SA Police had been “unsatisfactory” in following the courts’ processes.

Marcus Cappo leaves the Adelaide Magistrates Court at an earlier appearance. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Brenton Edwards

Mr Cappo, 20, first appeared in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court in October on seven counts 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.

If found guilty, a single count of procuring a child for sexual activity carries with it a maximum sentence of 10 years‘ prison.

According to court documents the allegations happened at Pooraka and Greenwith between September 18, 2021 and May 1, last year.

Mr Cappo, of Cheltenham, is a member of the Cappo Seafood family, which has been a mainstay of the Adelaide Central Markets and operated in SA since 1919.

The Cappo family were Italian migrants to Australia where, after arriving, six brothers founded the company at Port Pirie.

Marcus is the is the great-grandson of Carlo Cappo and son of internationally renowned Cappo Seafoods co-director Matthew Cappo, who is a third-generation owner of the iconic South Australian company.

The seafood giant in 2017 formed a partnership with fellow SA produce mogul Thomas Foods to export seafood to Asia.

There is no suggestion Carlo or Matthew Cappo or Cappo Seafoods are involved in any of Marcus Cappo’s charges.

Another seafood heir, Panagiotis Toumazos, a member of the well-known Toumazos family of Fish Factory fame, had multiple child sexual abuse allegations dismissed in court on Wednesday.

Mr Toumazos 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, Chief Magistrate Judge Mary-Louise Hribal dismissed the charges after no charge determination was made.

There is no suggestion the charges against Mr Toumazos and Mr Cappo were linked.

On Thursday, Mr Smart adjourned Mr Cappo’s charges to the District Court for arraignment in August.