Cappo Seafoods heir Marcus Cappo to be sentenced next week for child sexual offences

Jail is the only appropriate penalty for a seafood empire heir who manipulated young girls and possessed vile child abuse material, a court has heard.

A junior heir to an SA seafood fortune who used bribery and threats in his grooming tactics also had a substantial amount of vile child abuse material, a court has heard.

Marcus Carlo Cappo, 20, of Cheltenham and the great-grandson of the Cappo Seafoods founder, will learn his fate next week after he groomed and took advantage of several young girls.

He has pleaded guilty to a multitude of charges, including possessing and disseminating child exploitation material and multiple counts of procuring a child for sexual activity.

Amy Fisher, for the prosecution, told the District Court on Monday that Cappo manipulated and sexually offended against seven victims, some of who were only 14.

Ms Fisher said they didn’t accept the submission of Cappo’s treating psychologist, Paul Kasspidis, that Cappo was seeking to remedy his unfulfilled need for emotional connection.

“It was, I suggest, entirely about sexual gratification, gratification that is clearly far easier to obtain from children than it is from adults because children are naive, vulnerable and easily manipulated,” she said.

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

“It is plain from the evidence … that the defendant’s contact with his victims sometimes involved bribery, coercion and occasionally threats.

“He propositioned the girls through the payment of money, including the payment of money for sexual intercourse and in some cases placed quite a significant amount of pressure on his victims.”

The court heard Cappo’s devices were analysed and a substantial amount of child exploitation material was located, some involving children as young as three.

Ms Fisher pushed for immediate jail, saying Cappo had also disseminated child exploitation material he obtained from one of his victims, which would have been “humiliating and distressing”.

Victim impact statements from three of Cappo’s seven victims were read to the court in January by the prosecutor.

One of the victims said she now lives with shame and embarrassment after Cappo violated her privacy.

“The video went around my school, it has changed everyone’s opinions about me,” she said.

“I have been bullied and harassed at school, I have been called a sl*t to my face by the students and teachers did not tell the students off.”

Andrew Moffa, for Cappo, pushed for a good behaviour bond or suspended sentence, due to his client’s young age, ongoing treatment and developing a “real maturity” over the past 18-months.

Dr Kasspidis previously told the court in his evidence he had significant concerns that Cappo, who has learning difficulties, was so socially naive he would be upfront with other prisoners about what he’s been charged with.

“It is an open invitation for some serious difficulties,” he said.

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.

Marcus 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.

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

Judge Michelle Sutcliffe will sentence Cappo next month.