Ex-MP Milton Orkopoulos had a ‘sexual interest in young boys’, court told

A former state MP had a ‘sexual interest in young boys’, gaining their trust because he was ‘nice, friendly Milton Orkopoulos’, a jury has been told.

A former MP who has a “sexual interest in young boys” used his position and power as “nice, friendly Milton Orkopoulos” to gain the trust of young boys before keeping them quiet with drugs, money and alcohol, a jury has been told.

The ex-NSW state MP is standing trial in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court after he was accused of sexually abusing and supplying drugs to four young boys over a 10-year period up to 2003.

Mr Orkopoulos has strongly denied, including during his evidence in the trial, that he sexually abused any of the boys or forced them into sexual acts.

He has pleaded not guilty to 28 charges, including nine counts of sexual intercourse with a person under 16 years, eight charges of supplying cannabis to a minor and one count of perverting the course of justice.

During his evidence, Mr Orkopoulos denied allegations made by four men that they were abused by him as teens or young boys in the Lake Macquarie region and NSW Mid North Coast.

Milton Orkopoulos (right) is standing trial having denied that he sexually abused four boys. Picture: AAP

Crown prosecutor Cate Dodds gave her closing address to the jury on Thursday, where she told the court Mr Orkopoulos is accused of grabbing a then-young boy by the penis in the shower of a house on the NSW Mid North Coast.

The man – who cannot be legally identified – told the court earlier in the trial Mr Orkopoulos later forced him to sign a statement retracting the allegations after coming forward to police.

“The crown submits … the accused knew he had indecently assaulted (the boy) and that’s why he tried to get him to sign a document retracting any allegation about what happened,” Ms Dodds told the court.

“We submit the accused was trying to pervert the course of justice because he knew what he did was wrong.”

Ms Dodds told the court the alleged victims had been enticed through the former MP’s claims he was a “powerful mover and shaker” in the community.

“Like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, he has preyed on (the boy) who did not see the danger until it was too late,” Ms Dodds said.

Another man told the court he was provided with money and drugs in exchange for sexual acts – allegations Mr Orkopoulos also denied.

Ms Dodds told the court Mr Orkopoulos had a “tendency” to provide prohibited drugs to boys under the age of 18 to further the sexual interest in them.

She said Mr Orkopoulos allegedly behaved in similar ways with all four of the complainants, but none of them said anything until they were older.

“He tells them not to say anything and they don’t, he continues doing it and he becomes more brazen as he goes on,” Ms Dodds told the jury.

“He thinks no one will challenge nice, friendly Milton Orkopoulos.”

One of the men earlier told the jury the now 65-year-old Mr Orkopoulos took him to a bush walking track where he would go on to be allegedly sexually assaulted.

During his evidence, the man said he was offered cash and cigarettes after each incident but didn’t report the matter because he was scared and confused.

Mr Orkopoulos is alleged to have abused four boys over a 10-year period. Picture: Damian Shaw

Ms Dodds said the former MP had no fear of being detected until the allegations “started to unravel” in 2005.

She told the jury “what really happened” was Mr Orkopoulos had encountered “unsuspecting” young boys before allegedly grooming them, engaging in a sexual relationship and rewarding them with money or drugs.

The jury was told he often used the same pattern of behaviour - asking the alleged victims if they had smoked cannabis and then grooming them.

“When he pushes them too hard or too fast or too soon, he apologises,” Ms Dodds said.

“The crown submits their silence is guaranteed and he continues to do it when the opportunity presents itself.”

She said one of the victims gave evidence he didn’t see the alleged danger from Mr Orkopoulos until it was “far too late”.

“It’s all part of the accused’s modus operandi ... to provide young boys with drugs, sexually assault them when they are drug affected and keep them coming back for more,” Ms Dodds said.

In her final arguments, Ms Dodds told the court it was the Crown case Mr Orkopoulos lied on the stand and implored the jury to “use your common sense”.

She questioned whether a member of parliament would “pick up a 15-year-old boy from a bus stop and share cannabis with him”, or why he would invite the teenager to “come over to his office alone and play video games”.

“The accused we submit is not the victim of false allegations made by these men, he is, as I submitted a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Ms Dodds said.

“He used his age, life experience, his power and privilege to cloak himself with power ... and target underage and largely vulnerable boys, and use drugs, alcohol, sex and money to do it.

“He used all of that to ensure their silence.”

Defence barrister Paul Johnson began his closing address on Thursday afternoon, telling the jury Mr Orkopoulos is a “highly flawed individual”.

Mr Johnson said there are many things the former MP admits cast him in a poor light.

“After he became the member for Swansea, he broke many laws he was supposed to be upholding,” Mr Johnson said.

Mr Johnson asked the jury to look into the accounts of three of the complainants, claiming they each have a similar narrative.

He said it was “convenient” each of them have a similar story where the alleged sexual activity stops after they receive drugs or money from Mr Orkopoulos.

“They meet him, dreadful things happen thereafter and then it just stops,” Mr Johnson said.

“It’s convenient each of them suddenly came to their senses after they got money and then he just disappeared from their lives.

The closing submissions continue on Friday

Originally published as Ex-MP Milton Orkopoulos had a ‘sexual interest in young boys’, court told