Benjamin Stokes changes plea in child abuse trial

There has been a stunning turn of events in the child abuse trial of a prominent southwest Sydney dance teacher accused of abusing four young male students.

There has been a shock twist in the child abuse trial of former dance teacher Benjamin Jay Stokes.

A prominent southwest Sydney dance teacher who had strenuously denied sexually abusing four of his young students is now behind bars after changing his plea to guilty halfway through his trial in a shock twist.

Former Commotion Performing Arts head Benjamin Stokes had spent years denying grave allegations he had abused four of his students between 2012 and 2015 – including to a District Court jury as he defended the charges at trial.

Weeks into the trial, Stokes changed his pleas to guilty – and was immediately taken into custody after his bail was revoked on a Crown application.

Stokes will face a sentence hearing for six counts of grooming a child under 14 for unlawful sexual activity, five counts of indecently assaulting a child under 16, and one count of meeting a child under 14 after grooming for sexual activity at Sydney District Court on May 3.

Stokes at an earlier court appearance at Picton Local Court.

Judge James Bennett formally convicted Stokes of the offences to which he pleaded guilty and ordered a sentence assessment report before Stokes was taken into custody.

Stokes was accused of perpetrating the appalling crimes against young male students at his Smeaton Grange performing arts studio, which had instructed thousands of students over 20 years in business.

He had steadfastly maintained his innocence in his evidence at trial until the days before he changed his pleas to guilty.

Stokes at an earlier court appearance at Picton Local Court.

At court on February 14, Stokes’ counsel Stephen Hopper asked him various questions about allegations Stokes had kissed one child complainant and touched his genitalia at his home.

“That didn’t happen,” Stokes said repeatedly.

Stokes continually denied any of his relationships with his students were “sexual” at all throughout his evidence at trial.

He had endeavoured to explain why he described his actions as “inexcusable” when a complainant messaged him years later in a rage accusing Stokes of abusing him.

“(I was referring to) the general closeness of the affectionate behaviour between myself (and the complainant),” Stokes said in court.

“I look back on that time in my early 20s where I did not understand the importance of professional boundaries, carrying some shame and embarrassment about my unawareness about what looks right and looks wrong.

“There was never anything sexual behind any of it at all.”

Stokes will remain in custody ahead of his sentence hearing on May 3.