Villawood man Rocco Vitale charged with sexually touching toddler at western Sydney Aldi

An elderly man charged with sexually touching a toddler in a western Sydney supermarket has denied allegations he kissed the child – claiming it was the other way around.

A man allegedly kissed a toddler on the lips at an Aldi in western Sydney. Picture: Google Maps

An elderly man charged with sexually touching a toddler in a western Sydney supermarket has denied allegations he kissed the child – claiming it was the other way around.

The man in question, Villawood’s Rocco Vitale, was arrested earlier this week after walking up to another child in a park while on bail for four charges including two counts of intentionally sexually touching a child under 10.

The 73-year-old appeared in Fairfield Local Court on Thursday where he applied for bail through his lawyer Danielle Epifania.

The alleged kissing incident, which the court heard will be ventilated in a defended hearing next year, occurred on July 27 at Aldi in Villawood.

The court heard the 18-month-old was sitting in a trolley with their mother when Vitale allegedly approached and kissed the child twice on the lips.

Rocco Vitale applied for bail in Fairfield Local Court on Thursday.

Vitale was bailed and ordered not to enter any Aldi store, not contact the child and their mother and not approach anyone under the age of 16.

While on bail the court heard he approached a woman and child known to him at a park in Villawood where he spoke to the child.

Ms Epifania said Vitale admitted to being in the park, but denied interacting with the minor. However, Magistrate Stuart Devine found the man had breached his bail.

When applying to bail, Ms Epifania conceded the allegations before the court were “troubling”, but submitted it would be unlikely Vitale would be sentenced to full-time custody if he was found guilty to the charge despite the maximum 16-year jail term.

The court heard Vitale lived by himself and had limited ties to the community.

Mr Devine said there “seems to be a strong prosecution case”, but was prepared to grant Vitale bail on stricter conditions including not going within 100m of any schools or parks. However, there was a caveat of “unless in his premises” given he lives in proximity to a school and park.

“I don’t go into the school at all … I don’t understand, I haven’t done anything wrong,” Vitale said.

The magistrate later commented: “He doesn’t seem to have an appreciation of the predicament he is in.”

The case will return to court later this month where a hearing date is expected to be set.

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