Central Coast Stadium: Creep Edward Anthes, 84, hit on girl, 15, at Mariners game
An old man has pleaded guilty to hitting on a teenager at a Mariners game last year. And he had form, a court has heard.
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A creepy old man who tried to chat up a teenage girl at a Mariners game at Central Coast Stadium will undergo a pre-sentence report to see if he warrants jail time.
Edward James Anthes, 84, of Gorokan, was charged with intentionally sexually touching the 15-year-old shortly after 5.30pm on December 23, 2018, after police alleged he grabbed her on the bottom when the Mariners scored a goal against Newcastle Jets.
He was also charged with intentionally carrying out a sexual act towards the child after he introduced himself as “Ted” and later told her words to the effect “you’ve got a nice butt”.
He initially pleaded not guilty to both charges and the matter was set down for hearing in Gosford Local Court on Friday.
However after some last minute negotiations he agreed to plead guilty to carrying out a sexual act towards a child and the more serious charge of sexually touching her was withdrawn and dismissed.
The court was told the offence was also a breach of an earlier bond.
Magistrate Andrew George ordered Anthes to undergo a pre-sentence report and the matter was adjourned to September 26.
A set of agreed police facts tendered to court reveal he was put on an apprehended violence order for “obsessive stalking like behaviour” towards another young girl who worked at a Lake Haven shoe shop.
On March 6 last year she got a new job at a fashion shop at Westfield Tuggerah where he came in on July 21, hung around and told her he wanted to buy a jacket.
She reported it to police two days later and CCTV from the centre showed him loitering around the shop.
“Police have fears that the accused is fixated on the victim and his behaviour will continue towards the victim,” the facts read.
On December 23 at the soccer the other girl attended with her parents who took their seats in the western grandstand before she went to sit with a friend in the eastern grandstand.
Around 5.10pm the accused introduced himself to the victim as “Ted”.
At 5.36pm the Mariners scored a goal.
The amended police facts reveal she turned around to him and Anthes has made a comment similar to “you’ve got a nice butt”.
“The victim felt extremely uncomfortable and was unsure how to deal with the situation,” the facts read.
“The accused has made a remark to the victim similar to ‘sorry about that, I should’ve taken you to dinner first’.”
He then tried to engage her in conversation asking her what colour her eyes were and if she would like to go on a date with him.
At half time she very quickly left and found her parents. Her dad took her to a police officer and she pointed him out.
The police facts said she was “visibly shaken and upset when speaking with police”.
Police approached Anthes and asked for his version before he was ejected from the stadium and his membership pass seized so he could not return.
The next day she was interviewed by Child Abuse Unit police officers who on January 3 arrested and charged Anthes.