Joel Coggan: Gold Coast personal trainer set to be charged with more offences, lawyers

A young Gold Coast man who has been charged with child sex offences against a girl, and a separate alleged sexual assault against a woman he met through gym, is set to face further charges, his lawyer says.

Coomera man Joel Stephen Coggan, 25, leaving the Southport Watchhouse on February 13, 2025. Picture: Alex Treacy

A young Gold Coast personal trainer who has been charged with child sex offences against a girl, and a separate alleged sexual assault against a woman he met through gym, is set to face further charges, his lawyer says.

Defence lawyer Michael Gatenby appeared in Southport Magistrates Court on Friday on behalf of his client, Coomera man Joel Stephen Coggan, 25.

Mr Coggan is facing eight charges against two complainants.

Police allege Mr Coggan committed seven offences against an underage girl on various dates between December 7, 2024 and January 4 this year.

Coomera man Joel Stephen Coggan, 25, leaving the Southport Watchhouse on February 13, 2025. Picture: Alex Treacy

They include two counts of penile intercourse with a child under the age of 16, two counts of indecent treatment of a child under the age of 16, assault occasioning bodily harm, possessing child exploitation material, and involving a child in the making of child exploitation material.

He is further charged with an unrelated alleged sexual assault against a woman, whom he met in the course of his work as a personal trainer across a series of gyms on the northern Gold Coast, at Pacific Pines Central Park on January 16.

On Friday, Mr Gatenby told the court “further charges [are] forthcoming” against his client.

He said a brief of evidence regarding the seven alleged offences against the child complainant had been supplied, but he was yet to review the material.

Mr Gatenby asked for an adjournment on the seven charges to April 1, so they could marry up with the charge of sexual assault.

Should his client be charged with further offences, the April 1 mention of the existing charges may not go ahead, Mr Gatenby said.

Originally published as Joel Coggan: Gold Coast personal trainer set to be charged with more offences, lawyers