SA court acquits Jacob Christopher Molyneaux, who pleaded guilty to child exploitation, of BDSM rape allegations

An online pervert who goes by the name ‘Vegemite Guy’ is all smiles after a court’s verdict on allegations he raped a teenage ‘submissive’ in the back of his car.

A self-confessed child exploitation pervert’s violent, BDSM-style sexual encounter with a teenage girl was not rape, a court has ruled.

On Tuesday, the District Court acquitted Jacob Christopher Molyneaux – known online as “Vegemite Guy” – of two counts of rape arising from the same incident in 2020.

Both prosecution and defence agreed Molyneaux had sex with the teenager, that it was violent, and that he had described himself as a “dom” looking for “the right sub”.

But while prosecutors alleged the incident occurred without the consent of the teen, who was over the legal age for sex, defence counsel insisted she was a willing participant.

They conceded, however, Molyneaux’s “indelicacy, ignorance and immaturity” meant the incident was “an awful sexual experience for her”.

Molyneaux, 22, of Craigmore, is in custody awaiting sentence having pleaded guilty to communicating with a child for a prurient purpose and gross indecency.

He was arrested on those charges in October 2022, having used identities including “Vegemite Guy” and “Harry F” to obtain exploitation material and communicate with a girl, 13.

Molyneaux was then rearrested, and charged with two counts of rape, following the incident with the older teenager.

Self-confessed serial child sex offender Jacob Christopher Molyneaux, left, has been acquitted of rape. Picture: Facebook

He pleaded guilty to his online offending but denied the rape allegations, resulting in a suppression order being placed upon his identity.

During the rape trial, prosecutors alleged Molyneaux told girls and young women he “was a dom”, meaning the dominant partner in a bondage relationship.

They alleged he also said he “liked to use handcuffs and whips” and “had not found the right sub”, or submissive partner.

Molyneaux, they alleged, had raped the teenager in the back of his car after forcing her head between the seat and the door, “aggressively" saying she “would be his and only his”.

Counsel for Molyneaux did not dispute the circumstances of the encounter, but urged Judge Heath Barklay to view it “in its proper context”.

“This is a case about two teenagers trying to navigate their way through an adult world, which resulted in an awful sexual experience for (the female),” he said.

“These are the consequences of the indelicacy, ignorance and immaturity of my client … he did not rape her … he thought, at all relevant times, she was consenting.”

On Tuesday, Judge Barklay – who heard the trial in the absence of a jury – acquitted Molyneaux of both charges.

He lifted the suppression orders and remanded him in custody to face sentencing submissions, over the online offending, on a date to be set.