Former swim coach Paul Frost ‘molested 11 boys’ in swim squad
Former swim coach Paul Frost will be on house arrest after he was charged with 57 child sex offences against 11 boys in his swim squad at a Sydney pool.
St George Shire Standard
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A former swim coach accused of molesting boys in his former swim squad at a Sydney pool has been described as “gentle” and an “involved”, devoted parent.
Paul Frost, the son of Ian Thorpe’s former swim coach Doug Frost, allegedly sexually abused 11 boys as young as eight during his employment at the Doug Frost Swim School between 1997 and 2009.
The harrowing accusations include that Paul Frost allegedly orally raped his victims, swam naked with them, plied them with alcohol while showing them pornography, forced them to undress so he could abuse them, and touched their genitalia over and under their speedos.
Magistrate Christopher McRobert granted Paul Frost bail at Sutherland Local Court on Thursday and he will be on conditions akin to house arrest until he faces trial on 57 counts of child sexual abuse.
“Don’t push your luck on it,” Mr McRobert warned Paul Frost.
Paul Frost spent eight days in protective custody at Silverwater Correctional Centre after his arrest.
His wife of 18 years Ivana Frost, who is a national manager at Swedish furniture giant Ikea, said she was in “shock and disbelief”.
“He has been a loving and caring husband and father,” Ms Frost wrote in an affidavit to the court.
“I do not know how I am going to manage financially and with the care of the children and his elderly mother with Paul in custody.”
Ms Frost told the court Paul Frost managed their family’s schedules, including homework and extra-curricular activities, during her frequent work travel.
She said their young family had been “traumatised” by Paul Frost’s “sudden and completely unexpected” arrest in front of them on September 18.
“They are frightened and anxious about their father’s incarceration,” Ms Frost wrote.
“The media interest in particular has been relentless.”
His solicitor Sebastian De Brennan told the court many associates had offered character references.
“People have been falling over themselves to provide character references for him,” Mr De Brennan said.
“These are people with children he has had direct interactions with, and his teaching colleagues.”
Paul Frost also requires ongoing medical treatment after he sustained a severed artery in his leg from a glass sliding door at his rental property on Boxing Day in 2018.
The court heard Paul Frost has also lost his employment as a teacher at Malabar Public School and at the University of New South Wales for undergraduate education students.
He was not entitled to suspension with pay as he was working full time on a temporary contract.
The Sylvania man declared bankruptcy in 2016 after his catering business, launched in the glow of his appearance on MasterChef, went bust with debts of almost $500,000.
The court accepted $10,000 security and the titles for a block of land owned by Paul Frost’s father-in-law worth approximately $50,000 for his liberty.
He returns to Bankstown Local Court on October 9.
Mr De Brennan only learned his client was facing almost 50 new charges after reading it today on The Daily Telegraph website.
The solicitor told Sutherland Local Court he discovered Paul Frost was facing 47 new child sex abuse charges in relation to nine additional boys after reading the story this morning.