SA man, 26, pleads guilty to abusing ex-girlfriend’s twin foster children while she, 44, prepares to fight allegations at trial

A man has admitted perpetrating horrid crimes upon his then-girlfriend’s foster children – but she says she will fight some of the allegations at trial.

 

A man has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing, assaulting and exploiting his then-girlfriend’s twin foster children – but she says she will defend some of the charges at trial.

The 26-year-old, who cannot be named under SA law, appeared in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Tuesday via video link from custody.

Originally charged with 77 offences, he pleaded guilty to 24 counts of producing, one count of disseminating, and three counts of possessing child exploitation material.

He also pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse and five counts of indecent assault.

Further, he pleaded guilty to four counts of communicating with a child to make them amenable to sex, and three counts of communicating with an adult to procure a child for sex.

The man and his ex-girlfriend, 44, who is the children’s foster mother, were arrested after police each repeatedly abused her children, both together and on their own.

Police further alleged that, while a couple, they went “spotting” in shopping malls for more victims.

They have further alleged the mother has tried to psychologically manipulate the children from her jail cell, since her arrest, by “love-bombing” them in letters.

The 26-year-old is not the children’s foster father – that man, who has custody of the alleged victims, has never been accused of nor charged with wrongdoing.

On Tuesday, counsel for the foster mother said their client intended to plead guilty to “a similar number” of charges as her former boyfriend.

However, they said their client intended to plead not guilty to two counts of indecent assault – meaning she would face trial in the District Court.

Magistrate Justin Wickens urged counsel to make use of laws that would permit the court to progress her case without reading all of the charges aloud.

“It would take me an hour to read out all of these allegations at least, if not more,” he said.

He remanded the ex-boyfriend in custody to face that court in January, when a date for sentencing submissions will be set.

He remanded the foster mother in custody to answer the charges next month.

The content summaries were created with the assistance of AI technology, then edited and approved for publication by an editor.