Jordan Lloyd Koch revealed as SA detective found guilty of sexually assaulting teen girl
A decorated SA Police detective who sexually assaulted a teenage girl has been unmasked as his brave victim and her family confronted him in court.
Police & Courts
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Decorated SA Police detective Jordan Lloyd Koch committed “the highest level of misconduct” by abusing his “power and privilege” to groom and sexually assault a teenage girl, a court has heard.
For the first time, The Advertiser can name Koch – a 17-year veteran who has received multiple police and CFS bravery awards – following the lifting of longstanding suppression orders on Wednesday.
Koch sat ruddy-faced and motionless in the dock as his victim, who cannot be identified, and her family outlined the torment caused by his crime.
The girl he assaulted said she had been left to mourn for the loss of the person she could have been, and the potential she possessed, if not for Koch.
“People talk about grief … for me, it’s the little girl that’s gone … I was too scared to tell my mum what happened to me,” she said.
“I knew that it was wrong, but nothing could prepare me for how hard I’d have to fight just to live, knowing what he did to me.
“I don’t want to be afraid of every man I see because now all I see is them wearing my abuser’s face like a mask … when I’m awake he’s there, when I’m asleep he’s in my nightmares.”
She told Koch she had not forgotten his emotional reaction to being found guilty at trial – when he sank to his seat and wept into his hands.
“Just know that the way you felt in that moment does not even compare to what I’ve endured over the past two years,” she said.
Koch, 37, of Springton, was found guilty at trial of one count of unlawful sexual intercourse with a person under 17 years and two counts of indecent assault.
Judge Liesl Kudelka, who sat in the absence of a jury, ruled the girl’s testimony was “genuine” and “showed consistency”, while Koch’s evidence “lacks credibility” and sounded “scripted and rehearsed”.
On Wednesday, the victim said she had survived intense psychological trauma, eating disorders and bouts of self-harm caused by Koch’s abuse, thanks to the support of her family.
Her elder sister told the court that Koch’s actions were inexcusable.
“You were a police officer whose duty was to uphold the law and protect the community,” she said.
“You were in a position of power … you have shown the highest level of police misconduct.
“You abused your power and your privilege and violated a child … what you did to my sister is vile and disgusting.”
The victim’s other sister said Koch had shown “a complete disregard for the law”.
“I can only presume that you were under the impression that being an SA Police officer would provide you with a shield of protection,” she said.
David Edwardson KC, for Koch, said his client’s employment had been terminated following the guilty verdict.
He said Koch had lived a life dedicated to community service, fighting 100 fires with the CFS and acting as a police forward commander at the Wingfield chemical fire.
Koch’s family, he said, found the verdict “irreconcilable” with a man who had received multiple bravery awards and commendations.
“There is every reason to believe, given his past conduct, that this is an aberration,” he said.
“The court can be reasonably satisfied that, when released, the likelihood of reoffending is almost non-existent.”
She revoked Koch’s bail and remanded him in custody for sentencing next week.
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