Wilberforce RFS volunteer Michael Scholz jailed for child sex abuse

A once “respected” volunteer firefighter and father sexually abused two young girls on trips, encouraging alcohol and raping them in northwest Sydney. Warning: Disturbing.

Michael Scholz will face a lenghty jail sentence.

Two young girls – one of which was “plied” with alcohol – were raped by a respected community figure during camping trips while they were under his care.

Michael Scholz, 59, from Wilberforce was found guilty of five counts of intentionally sexually touching a child; two counts of aggravated sexual assault (under 16 years); three counts of aggravated sexual touching a person under authority; two charges of aggravated sexual assault under authority; and one offence of sexual assault without consent and was sentenced at Parramatta District Court on June 23.

Scholz had been a RFS member of 35 years with the Wilberforce Brigade when he exploited two young girls between February and April, 2021.

The first set of offending occurred when a 15-year-old girl was taken for a drive in Scholz’s car as a “favour” – after she helped the Brigade deal with flooding.

The young girl was sitting on Scholz’s lap while steering a car they were driving, when he groomed her.

Scholz was considered a respected community member.

On separate occasions, during camping trips at North Turnbull, facts stated that Scholz groomed the victims while on a camping trip with his family.

The 16-year-old victim was “encouraged” to drink – having sculled a vodka cruiser in front of Scholz a week prior at a BBQ – before Scholz sexually assaulted her while she felt “tipsy”.

Justice Alan Abadee said the young girl was “goaded” into drinking alcohol by Scholz.

“It was as plain as a pikestaff that on the occasion of the sculling that she was engaging in an exhibitionist display.”

On another instance, Scholz grabbed the victim around the waist and kissed her lips after she had been drinking.

Scholz told one of the victim’s mothers that he had a “working with children” check, ensuring he would care for the minor.

The court recounted another graphic rape on another family holiday to Coffs Harbour, as Scholz took the 16-year-old into his caravan and raped her.

On one occasion, Scholz took the 16-year old girl into his tent before grooming her, while his son was nearby asleep.

On another occasion, Scholz took the 16-year old girl into his tent before grooming her, while his son was alseep nearby.

The Crown submitted Scholz had fostered close relationships with the victims before he “plied them with alcohol”.

Scholz sent flirtatious messages, which the Crown said were of an emotional connection.

“Communications were arranged in a secretive way so as to be concealed from the victims’ mothers. They were induced to feel an emotional connection with the offender of a quasi-romantic kind,” the Crown said.

Another girl, aged 15, was in a bathroom block when Scholz entered, closed the door and groped her breasts before touching the girl on the vagina, outside her shorts.

On another instance, the same victim fell off a motorbike and landed in a ditch – Scholz took the opportunity to pounce on her, and “fell on top of her”, forcing her hand onto his penis, according to agreed facts.

Scholz took the girls on joy rides before committing the vile acts.

Justice Abadee said the girl would have already felt shocked and disorientated from the fall, which was an aggravating factor.

After the same girl had gone for a swim, Scholz entered a bathroom she was in and closed the door before grabbing the girl’s shoulder, using force to push her against the wall.

“She tried to get away but he had his hands on her shoulder. With the victim’s top off, he grabbed her breasts with his hands, squeezing and circling them,” court documents state.

Justice Abadee said Scholz was viewed as someone trusting and respected – who exploited his duty of care knowing the girls lacked “father figures”.

“For one victim, he took her on outback adventurous – even risky – activities. For another, he did that as well but in addition, he enabled her to have access to alcohol and colluded with her to go behind her mother’s back and meet up with her after school.”

Victim impacts

Justice Abadee said the impact statements made for “very disturbing reading”, with one girl saying she had “lost her innocence”.

“A prominent theme is the shame she has had to endure but, more positively, her sense of resolution in overcoming her fears generated by the processes of the criminal justice system,” Justice Abadee said.

The other victim emphasised the impact of the rape in making her distrust men and the impact upon her physically and at school.

She also referred to anxiety about her future.

Scholz “plied” the girls with alcohol.

Both victims provided evidence and displayed palpable distress after providing multiple accounts of sex acts inflicted on them, which Justice Abadee said occurred at “a vulnerable and formative stage of their lives”.

The court heard Scholz suffered from PTSD and depression but grew up in a wealthy Annangrove home.

Justice Abadee said Scholtz showed “no contrition or remorse for his offending” as Scholz maintained innocence from the beginning of proceedings.

“He is entitled to his position and is not to be punished for his beliefs, but by doing so, he foregoes the benefits of mitigation that are associated with a guilty plea or an expression of contrition.”

Psychologist Dr Rodriguez suggested Scholz did not exhibit typical pedophilic traits or an “anti-social” make-up.

Scholz was sentenced to 14 years in jail, backdated to January 2023. He will be eligible for release on September 28 2031.

An RFS spokeswoman said Scholz was removed as a member following his conviction and would not be eligible to rejoin the RFS in the future.