Domino’s Pizza sex assault scandal: How victim brought down ‘exploitative’ manager

A Qld Domino’s Pizza store manager who preyed on teen staff was only brought to justice when one of his victims fought back more than a decade after she was attacked.

Seven teenage girls were sexually assaulted by a manager at Queensland Domino’s Pizza store.

• Sex scandal: Seven teen girls, one manager

The “exploitative” manager of a Queensland Domino’s Pizza store who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting seven young female staff, claiming it was to “cultivate a fun workplace”, was finally brought to justice after one of his victims summonsed the courage to go to police more than a decade later.

One victim, referred to in court as “complainant B”, had her bottom slapped by Ashley James Downs while she was a teen working with him at a store in 2007 or 2008 and both her breasts squeezed by him in a delivery car in 2008.

It was only later, that she had the opportunity to work with three other young women to whom she disclosed that Downs had assaulted her, according to a decision of the state’s highest court, published on November 17.

The Court of Appeal decision, which rejected Downs’ bid to slash his sentence, summarised the complaint against Downs, and states that after “complainant B” met three more recent victims, “complainant B” reported her sexual assault to Domino’s industrial relations department in December 2020, then to police on July 7, 2021.

Two other victims, referred to in court as complainants F and G who were assaulted by Downs in 2019, also complained to the Domino’s industrial relations department at this time. They also reported him to police in July 2021.

Downs grazed complainant F’s breasts with his hands when she was in the store’s cold room fetching ranch sauce in 2019.

She screamed loudly and he stopped touching her, the decision states.

The manager was only brought to justice when one of the victims went to police more than a decade after she was assaulted.

Downs “deliberately” brushed the back of his hand across the breasts of complainant G in late 2019 when they were in the store carpark and he was lending her a pair of shorts because her zipper broke.

Downs, now aged 41, but who was aged between 25 and 37 at the time he offended, pleaded guilty to ten counts of sexual assault and four counts of common assault in the District Court in Southport last month.

He was sentenced to 18 months’ jail suspended after serving five months by Judge Jennifer Rosengren on October 13.

He appealed, claiming he should not have to serve any time behind bars, and claimed he should not have been jailed for the common assault charges and instead given a fine.

But the three appeal judges last week found his sentence was reasonable.

He sexually assaulted seven teen girls and pleaded guilty to common assault of one teen girl for punching her in her breast in 2017 or 2018 and “whipping” her on her bottom with an apron twice in 2018 or 2019.

The worst example of his offending was his holding of a teen girl’s bare breasts with both hands and “squeezing” them, laughing and saying it was a “hand bra” at work in 2007/2008, after he unclipped her bra.

One of the seven sexual assault victims was also a victim of common assault when he smacked her on the bottom at work.

The decision also reveals that two weeks after “complainant B” went to police to report Downs, she agreed to take part in a pretext phone call with police to Downs.

During the call, she told Downs that it was not okay to grab her breasts when they sat in the Domino’s store car in 2008 when he was teaching her to drive a manual.

Downs told her he was “just mucking around”, apologised that she felt that way and said he was just trying to be fun.

He told her that he understood that he took it too far and that it was wrong.

On November 20, 2021 Downs voluntarily attended a Queensland police station and was formally charged.

He told a psychologist prior to his sentencing that he did not realise the impact of his actions until he was contacted by the boyfriend of complainant D, who sent him a phone message telling Downs to stop “slapping (her) ass” and that if Downs did it again the boyfriend would complain to Domino’s head office.

Downs replied: “That’s fair enough. I apologise to you and (the complainant)”.

In sentencing him, Judge Rosengren noted that Downs was the “adult” at the pizza store and he “should have been the protector” of his teen victims.

She also observed that complainant D, told him to “f*** off” in February 2019 after he “whipped” her bottom with an apron, but five weeks later he did it again.

Even after her boyfriend threatened to report him, Downs went on to offend against four other young girls.

Judge Rosengren found it was serious and prolonged exploitation of young girls and found Downs had taken advantage of his position of authority to engage in unwelcome sex acts with young employees.

She found that Downs understood what he was doing, knew they were wrong and chose not to control himself.

She rejected Downs’ explanation that he lacked the ability to “read social cues”.

Originally published as Domino’s Pizza sex assault scandal: How victim brought down ‘exploitative’ manager