Teen water polo referee charged with having sex with 14-year-old

It allegedly started with the offer of a ride home, but it’s what the alleged victim and police say happened next that has landed young water polo referee Matthew Emmanuel Goldman before court on child sex charges.

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A young water polo referee has been charged for having sex with a 14-year-old girl who he offered to drive home after a game.

Matthew Emmanuel Goldman was under investigation by the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad after a player came forward alleging he had sex with her.

Last December, Goldman — a 19-year-old who lives at home with his family in Sydney’s east — was charged with having sexual intercourse without consent with a person under 16 and indecent assault.

Matthew Emmanuel Goldman at his home in Sydney’s east. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

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While the offences occurred in 2017, a report wasn’t made to police until December 2018.

Police will allege in court that the victim was aged between 14 and 15 at the time of the offending, which took place in three different locations.

Goldman is accused of having sex with the teen at a party at Bronte, at an ocean pool in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and at Matraville.

It is understood Goldman had offered to drive the victim home following a water polo match before the alleged assaults occurred.

The behaviour came to the surface after a misconduct ruling was made over a match Goldman was refereeing and the victim was involved in last year.

She then confided in a relative and told police.

Detectives arrested Goldman and carried out a raid at his Maroubra home on December 21 before charging him with the offences.

He is currently on bail and his case was briefly mentioned in Waverley Local Court on March 21. It was adjourned to May.

Goldman is currently on bail and will face court again in May. Picture: Facebook

The former St Andrew’s Cathedral School student appeared shaken when approached by The Sunday Telegraph this week about the allegations.

“I am going to choose not to say anything,” Goldman said.

“I think that’s the best thing for me at the moment.”

It is understood detectives are investigating whether there are any other victims given Goldman has spent a few years refereeing competitive matches, including state and national titles, involving young players in Sydney.

The revelation comes after police wrote to players, their families and officials of Water Polo NSW earlier this year, alerting them to the investigation that was underway.

The letter, sent on March 5, stated a series of allegations had been made against an unnamed individual, some of which were before the court but “others that are still under investigation”.

“As you would appreciate, the police are restricted in what we can say about either the incidents or persons involved,” Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Barnes said.

Goldman pictured with school mates. Picture: Facebook

“We can however inform you that the individual has been suspended from working at, participating in, or attending any Water Polo NSW event or activity.”

Det Insp Barnes wrote it was “unlikely the allegations involve a significant number of persons, clubs or locations”.

The revelation comes after Mosman swim coach Kyle Daniels, a 20-year-old former Knox Grammar school prefect who was arrested this month on child sexual assault offences.

Daniels, a Sydney University student, has been accused of sexually abusing eight girls during swim lessons last year.