Bannon Rodriguez blames Covid for sexually assaulting Forest Hill Chase staff
An 89-year-old man who sexually assaulted and exposed himself to young staff members at Forest Hill Chase has blamed Covid brain fog for his offending.
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An elderly man has blamed “brain fog” from a serious bout of Covid as an excuse for sexually assaulting store employees at Forest Hill Chase.
Bannon Rodriguez, 89, fronted the Ringwood Magistrates Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to sexual assault and sexual exposure.
Rodriguez visited the Forest Hill Chase shopping centre on August 11 and 15, 2022.
He visited three stores and asked female teenage employees to assist him in the change rooms, claiming he had a hand injury and could not try on pants by himself.
He exposed his penis to two young female victims and touched the breast of two others.
On one occasion, he followed the employee into the change room and shut the door behind him.
He exposed and touched his genitalia while inside the change room with the victim.
The court heard Rodriguez was suffering from “confusion and brain fog” due to a bout of Covid at the time of the offending and had since suffered major health issues.
He also had an unblemished criminal record and the offending was described at “extraordinarily out of character” for Rodriguez.
He was sentenced to a 12 month good behaviour bond without conviction and order to make a $1000 donation to the court fund.
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