Steven Lees sexual intercourse with child trial on now at Coffs Harbour

A jury has retired to consider their verdict in the child rape trial of a Mid-North Coast man who told police he would deny the allegations “until the day I die”.

Coffs Harbour courthouse. 05 NOV 2019

A jury has retired to consider their verdict in the child rape trial of a Coffs Harbour man who told police he would deny the allegations “until the day I die”.

Steven Lees is facing three charges of having sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 10.

The 29-year-old has pleaded not guilty to all charges and a jury trial is currently underway at Coffs Harbour District Court.

It began on June 30 before Judge Michael McHugh.

On Monday last week the jury heard evidence from a woman who lived next door to the young complainant who allegedly came to her in early 2021 and said “I have to tell an adult I trust”.

Steven Lees walks in to Coffs Harbour District Court on July 8, 2025 during his trial.

According to the elderly woman the girl told her that Lees “put his fingers inside me and it hurt”.

After hearing this she told the alleged victim it was “not a secret I could keep”.

“It shocked me – it’s one of those things you never forget,” she told the jury.

Later in the week the jury heard from Lees’ defence lawyer that the witness had a history of encouraging younger people to make false sexual assault allegations.

In summing up Judge Michael McHugh told the jury they were not there to “go after” the woman.

Mr McHugh also told the jury they were there to determine if, beyond reasonable doubt, Lees committed the offences.

Lees’ defence lawyer also relied on what he described to the jury as a genuine backdown in the complainant’s evidence when she said she could not be sure if it was Lees who had assaulted her.

The Crown asserted the girl had been coerced into making the backdown.

However, Lees’ defence pointed the jury to a Snapchat message sent to a young friend saying she was no longer sure if it was Lees, and that the young girl would not be “so sophisticated to create a false paper trail”.

“This (the message) was a genuine friend to friend message saying I am changing what I said,” the defence lawyer said.

Lees did not give evidence at the trial but the jury heard that, in a statement to police, he said he would deny the allegations against him “until the day I die”.

The jury also heard Lees had not been charged with any sexual assault offences in the past.

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Originally published as Steven Lees sexual intercourse with child trial on now at Coffs Harbour