Cairns restaurant owner with six prior indecency convictions exposed himself to teenage girls

A Cairns restaurant owner repeatedly exposed himself in public – most recently targeting three teenage girls buying slushies in a city convenience store where he also worked, a court has heard.

Agam Arora, 33, was working at a city convenience store when he committed an indecent act in view of three teenage girl customers.

A Cairns restaurant owner who repeatedly exposed himself in public – most recently targeting three teenage girls buying slushies in a city convenience store where he also worked – has been given another chance to stay out of prison.

Agam Arora, 33, pleaded guilty in Cairns Magistrates Court this week to committing an indecent act in a public place, and possessing an ice pipe in late March this year.

He had served three months in prison on remand and was sentenced to a wholly suspended 18-month jail term.

The court was told Arora was working at the store one afternoon when he beckoned a 15-year-old girl, who was buying slushies with her friends, to a back room and exposed himself.

The court was told Arora was then seen masturbating in the back room by all three girls, aged 15, 17 and 18.

Police prosecutor David Castor said the girls went straight to a nearby police beat, telling officers they were “freaked out” by what had happened.

The teenage girls, aged between 15 and 18, had gone to the city convenience store to buy slushies when Arora beckoned the youngest girl to a back room in the store.

Arora was on parole at the time and had six previous convictions for indecent acts, Mr Castor said.

“He is an offender with quite a number of relevant previous convictions ... in relation to the first (three offences), he was given the opportunity of not having a conviction recorded and a probation order,” Mr Castor said.

“Less than two months into that probation order, the offender has committed further acts that have resulted in three subsequent convictions for indecent act and that offending took place in August 2024.

“This (March 2025 incident) is not a case where the offender has been engaging in an indecent act where there just happened to be people around. These are matters where the conduct ... is directed specifically towards (the girls).”

Agam Arora, 33, was working at a city convenience store when he committed an indecent act in view of three teenage female customers. Picture: Facebook

Defence barrister Angus Edwards KC said Arora’s problems with the law started when he began using ice, which was offered to him by a customer.

He said Arora had now “finally” accepted he had a problem and sought treatment for his exhibitionist “paraphilia” during the three months he had been in prison on remand.

“His capacity to regulate his emotion and behavioural responses were compromised at the time of the offending .. but he is not a contact offender,” Mr Edwards said.

“In the past, he has not faced up to his problems with drugs and exhibitionism... he is now motivated to complete the treatment program .. and has the support of family.”

Mr Edwards said Arora ran a restaurant in Cairns and was a hard-working Indian-born man who had lived in Australia since 2017 on a temporary resident visa.

He said that visa would be cancelled automatically for failing the character test if he was sentenced to actual imprisonment.

Defence barrister Angus Edwards said Arora would be facing automatic cancellation of his residency visa and possible immigration detention and deportation if he was sentenced to one year or greater in prison, and was required to serve actual imprisonment.

“Deportation is a relevant factor where it makes a period of incarceration more onerous,” Mr Edwards said.

Mr Edwards submitted that Arora’s acceptance of his problem, attempts at rehabilitation and the added potential punishment of deportation warranted a sentence with an immediate release date.

Acting Magistrate Raimund Heggie accepted the submission, saying he also took into account the 99 days Arora had served in pre-sentence custody, case law, the impact on the victims, and principles of deterrence in sentencing him to 18 months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for three years.

“The fresh charges ... actually indicate an escalation in the offending ... In those (previous) instances, the offender tried to conceal his offending but in this case here, he’s actually invited the victims in order to commit this offending before them, which I find disturbing,” Mr Heggie said.

He also fined Arora $300 for breaching his parole order by committing more offences and re-sentenced him to a further three years’ probation on the earlier charges, with conditions he undergo counselling and drug testing.

Originally published as Cairns restaurant owner with six prior indecency convictions exposed himself to teenage girls