Abhishesh Bista pleads not guilty to sexual assault, indecent treatment

The trial for a Qld chef accused of twice having a 13-year-old girl perform oral sex on him at a restaurant has begun. What the three alleged victims are expected to say has been revealed in court.

Abhishesh Bista arriving at Rockhampton courthouse with solicitor Grant Cagney ahead of his trial in the Rockhampton District Court on February 10, 2025, where he entered pleas of not guilty to four counts of indecent treatment of children and two of sexual assault.

The evidence of three young girls who accuse a chef of sexual abuse will be heard by a jury this week.

Central Queensland chef Abhishesh Bista pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assaults and four of indecent treatment of children in the Rockhampton District Court on Monday, February 10.

Crown prosecutor Monique Bros-Wilshire told the jury the three alleged victims were aged 13 to 16.5 years old when Mr Bista allegedly kissed, grabbed their buttocks, sexually touched them, told one of the girls he wanted to marry them and had one of the girls perform oral sex twice – once in the kitchen and the other in the office of a restaurant.

She said the girls will give evidence about the alleged offences, along with their relationships with Mr Bista.

Ms Bros-Wilshire said other staff, friends, family of the victims and Mr Bista would give evidence during the trial about what the girls reported or what they heard or saw occur between the defendant and the complainants during the alleged offending periods.

Ms Bros-Wilshire said one of the girls would give evidence that Mr Bista allegedly wrapped his arm around her and kissed her, using his tongue, before she could push him away.

She said that same girl would also tell the jury of another incident where he allegedly pushed her up against a wall and kissed her while there was a table of customers in the restaurant, only stopping when the bell rang indicating the customers were ready to pay and leave.

“She tried to pull away but he had hold of her arm,” Ms Bros-Wilshire said.

She said afterwards, Mr Bista followed her into the office where he is again accused of pushing her up against a wall and kissing her neck and mouth along with rubbing his body up against her.

Ms Bros-Wilshire said this girl claims Mr Bista started making comments to her from the first day she met him that indicated he had a sexual interest in her, including that he wanted to marry her and make her his wife.

He would allegedly touch her, kiss her, rub her and there were instances when he would kiss her cheek while she was doing things, Ms Bros-Wilshire said.

She said one of the other girls would allege that while she was kissing Mr Bista in the kitchen, he whispered in her ear to perform oral sex, which she carried out and, afterwards, she lifted her shirt for him and he kissed her breasts.

Ms Bros-Wilshire said the third child – the one that launched the police investigation after hearing reports about an alleged incident between this child and Mr Bista – would accuse Mr Bista of grabbing her buttocks and squeezing it, along with asking “do you have a boyfriend” then saying to her “I can do so much better than him” and “I can dip you down way better as well”.

She said this child heard from the other two girls what they allege happened between them and Mr Bista on separate occasions, but not exactly what the first girl said.

The trial began on Monday, February 10 and continues on Tuesday.

Originally published as Abhishesh Bista pleads not guilty to sexual assault, indecent treatment