Orkopoulos jury retires to consider child sex and drug allegations

The jury in the child sex abuse trial of Milton Orkopoulos has retired to consider 28 charges against the former state MP.

WARNING: Graphic content.

The jury in the child sex assault trial of former state MP Milton Orkopoulos has retired to consider its verdict.

Mr Orkopoulos, 65, has faced a four-week trial in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court over historical child sex allegations.

Four men told the jury that as teens or boys they were sexually abused by Mr Orkopoulos in the Lake Macquarie region or on NSW’s mid-north coast over a 10-year period from 1993 to 2003.

The jury of seven men and five women on Tuesday afternoon retired to consider its verdict.

Mr Orkopoulos, the former Member for Swansea and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, pleaded not guilty to 28 charges, including 11 counts of sexual intercourse with a child under 16 years and six counts of indecent assault of a child.

He is also facing eight counts of supplying a prohibited drug in relation to allegations he gave three of the boys cannabis.

As well, he has pleaded not guilty to one count of perverting the course of justice, relating to an allegation he forced one boy to sign a statement retracting sex abuse claims.

Milton Orkopoulos is defending claims he sexually assaulted four boys. Picture: Damian Shaw

The Crown prosecution accused Mr Orkopoulos of using his position firstly as a Lake Macquarie councillor and then as a state MP to groom young boys “like a wolf in sheep’s clothing”.

He denied all sexual assault allegations, describing the claims, during his evidence, as “fanciful”, “outrageously wrong” and a “lie”.

All four of the alleged victims, who cannot be named or identified, gave evidence before Judge Jane Culver over the course of the trial.

One man told the court that Mr Orkopoulos grabbed him by the penis and testicles while in the shower during an incident on the mid-north coast.

The man told the court that the former ALP MP had ordered him to strip off as they stood together inside a bathroom.

The man told the court that Mr Orkopoulos remarked to him that he was a “little boy” who had a “little pecker” and that he was about 10 or 11 at the time.

The man said he “backed up” after Mr Orkopoulos tried to kiss him as he was grabbed on the penis.

He told the jury that he continued to shower and Mr Orkopoulos sat down and rubbed his penis as he watched.

According to Mr Orkopoulos’ version of events, he walked out of the bathroom after helping the boy fill the bucket shower.

It’s alleged Milton Orkopoulos sexually assaulted the boys while he was a state MP or local councillor. Picture: Ron Hutchings

The man also told the court he was later forced to sign a statement retracting allegations during a meeting at the house of Jill Hall, who was Mr Orkopoulos’ predecessor as the Member for Swansea.

Ms Hall is not accused of any wrongdoing.

Mr Orkopoulos said he “didn’t instigate” the signing of anything and at that point his knowledge of the allegations was that he had “looked” at the boy “funny”.

“I didn’t need to have him sign anything,” Mr Orkopoulos said during his evidence.

According to Mr Orkopoulos, the then boy later told him that he made the initial allegation following the “harassing” and “haranguing” of a parent.

Defence barrister Paul Johnson told the jury that they ought to question the reliability of the other complainants’ version of events.

Originally published as Orkopoulos jury retires to consider child sex and drug allegations