Mario De Frenza: Caringbah hairdresser sexually touched teen
Outside court, supporters of a male hairdresser - who pinched a teen girl’s nipples and massaged her buttocks through her shorts - have yelled at waiting media after the experienced stylist was sentenced.
St George Shire Standard
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A Sydney hairdresser has admitted to pinching a teenager’s nipples and massaging her buttocks when she was not wearing underwear in an unsettling series of events during which he told the girl “the boys like your arse”.
Mario De Frenza, 42, pleaded guilty to indecent assault, sexual touching and common assault after in three separate incidents involving a 17-year-old girl at a Sutherland Shire home in 2018 and 2019.
“(In the first incident) the accused made a pinching gesture then walked towards the complainant,” agreed facts stated.
“As the accused approached the complainant, she turned her back to protect herself, and the accused has pinched the complainant on the nipples.”
In the second incident De Frenza had offered to massage out knots in the teen’s legs after she had been running.
“At the time the complainant was concerned as she was wearing shorts with no underpants,” agreed facts stated.
“The accused massaged her calves then moved his hands up and massaged her buttocks for a short period.”
In the third incident, De Frenza slapped the teen on the buttocks and said “the boys like your arse … you have a really good arse … you’re very cheeky”.
De Frenza was to face a hearing at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday before police withdrew five similar charges and De Frenza pleaded guilty to the remaining offences.
Magistrate Lisa Viney convicted De Frenza and sentenced him to a two-year community corrections order with a $5000 fine.
“I take into account that the complainant was clothed on each of the occasions,” Ms Viney said.
“The defendant has no prior criminal history except for one driving matter on his record, which I do not take into account.”
De Frenza, who now resides in Casula, was also hit with an apprehended violence order which prevents him from contacting his young victim in any way except through his lawyer for 18 months.
The experienced stylist has owned and operated Caringbah hair salon MAXD & Co on the Kingsway for the past three years, but has worked as a hairdresser and previously as a technician for L’Oreal for 20 years.
A female employee at the Caringbah salon who gave evidence about De Frenza’s character in court said the charges did not alter her opinion of him, while a family friend described him as “fantastic, supportive ... an excellent confidante and a nice guy”.
De Frenza’s female supporters yelled at a News Corp photographer as they guided the hairdresser across the road outside court with his suit jacket over his head.
His lawyer and the Crown also failed in a joint attempt to have a non-publication order placed on the matter after an extraordinary outburst from the famous Sydney barrister attacking the St George Shire Standard’s reporter, which he incorrectly referred to as the St George Daily Leader.