Mark Stephen Allen, charged with sexually assaulting teen girl 26 times, tells court his penis ‘doesn’t work’

A man charged with 26 teen sex crimes can’t be guilty, a court has been told, because his penis “doesn’t work”.

A removalist accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl, to whom he also sold drugs, 26 times in two weeks says he is innocent because his penis “doesn’t work”.

Mark Stephen Allen, 37, of Craigmore, faced the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday by video link.

He has yet to plead to 26 counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 17 years.

Mr Allen is further charged with one count of supplying or administering a controlled drug to a child.

On Thursday, an SA Police prosecutor asked the court to refuse Mr Allen’s application for bail, saying his alleged offending was too serious.

She said the alleged victim was a girl, 15, who met Mr Allen via a thread on the encrypted Telegram app called “Illicit Adelaide”.

“She is a very young, vulnerable schoolgirl who began purchasing cannabis from him … he asked for her Snapchat name and they began communicating there,” she said.

“Over a two-week period she would sneak out of home after midnight and meet up with the accused at hotels and, on 26 occasions, had sexual intercourse.

“He supplied her with cannabis on 11 occasions … this offending was systemic and frequent.”

The prosecutor said the girl and her family – who discovered the offending by checking her mobile phone – feared being approached by Mr Allen if he were released on bail.

“They are very fearful because he sent Ubers to her house to pick her up, and therefore knows their address,” she said.

Stacey Carter, for Mr Allen, said her client was a father of one with a long working history as a furniture removalist and no criminal history.

She described the alleged victim as “a very disturbed young girl”.

“What she has not explained to police is that her brother was present also and will attest to the fact there was no sexual activity,” she said.

“Additionally, my client had an operation on his penis three years ago … it does not work.

“That will be put forward as part of the information that the police should consider.”

The state’s chief magistrate, Judge Mary-Louise Hribal, declined to grant bail to Mr Allen.

“Bail is refused due to the seriousness of the allegations and the need to protect the complainant,” she said.

She remanded Mr Allen in custody to face court again in August.