Paul Frost: Victims tell of child sexual abuse trauma at hands of swim coach

The horrors and trauma victims endured at the hands of their former swim coach – whose father trained Ian Thorpe – have been laid bare after he was found guilty of abusing 11 children at a Sydney swim school.

Paul Douglas Frost, 47, who lived in Hurstville, pleaded not guilty to 43 separate counts of child sexual abuse and in June, a jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts following a months-long trial in Sydney District Court. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA Newswire

The horrors and trauma victims of the son of Ian Thorpe’s former swim coach have been aired in court as the man who was found guilty of abusing 11 children at a swim school was labelled as the “worst kind of predator”.

Paul Douglas Frost, 47, of Hurstville, pleaded not guilty to 43 separate counts of child sexual abuse and in June, a jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts following a months-long trial in Sydney District Court.

Frost, whose father coached Australian swimming legend Ian Thorpe, sexually abused 11 students at a swim school at the Doug Frost Swim Academy in Padstow in southwest Sydney in the 1990s and 2000s.

At court on Friday, five victims spoke about how Frost manipulated their insecurities and ripped away their innocence.

“I feel sick to my stomach when I think about what I did, you watching me and the fact you took advantage of me and the way I let you influence me into becoming someone I‘m not,” one male victim said.

Paul Douglas Frost was found guilty of sexually abusing 11 children. Picture: Gaye Gerard / NCA Newswire

“The crimes you committed are the worst kind and you were the worst kind of predator.”

Another man told how his parents trusted Frost as a coach, mentor and protector.

“Before I was even a teenager I was taught by Paul how to masturbate, I was encouraged to masturbate in a public swimming pool,” he said.

“I left my home country Australia over a decade ago, unable to bear the thought of living in the same place as where there existed so much pain because of him.

“Unfortunately that trauma has followed me across oceans and continents. The ripples of his abuse, the genesis of my mental health challenges including PTSD and addiction have affected more than just me though.”

Another male victim said he was a “broken boy – one who could be manipulated and used” adding, he “lost value in myself, never really being able to love people wholly.”

The court heard Frost had been assaulted while in custody as soon as he got off the bus and entered Shortland Correctional Centre.

Frost’s defence barrister said his client had heightened anxiety and stress because he feared further assault and continued to receive threats.

The court also heard Frost’s mother, who is aged in her 70s, was ill and had previously relied on Frost for care but noted she had other family members.

Crown prosecutor Darren Robinson submitted Frost’s assault, being in protective custody or anxiety about further violence should result in a reduced sentence.

He said Frost’s offending was committed over 13 years and involved a “significant breach of trust” of those children he was supposed to care for when he coached them.

Frost was convicted of 18 counts of aggravated indecent assault of a child under 16, 13 counts of sexual intercourse with a child between 10 and 16 under his authority, and six counts of inciting aggravated indecency with a child under 16 under his authority.

They also included two counts of grooming a child under 14 for an unlawful sexual act, one count of indecent assault of a child under 16 and two counts of sexual intercourse with a child between 16 and 17 who was under his care.

Frost was employed at Malabar Public School as a teacher up until the day before his arrest and was a MasterChef contestant.

Judge Huggett will hand down her sentence on November 2.