Mordialloc businessman Leon Pompei jailed after found guilty of raping Seaford sex worker

A Mordialloc businessman who raped a Seaford sex worker without a condom left his victim with a “diminished” life.

Leon Pompei has been charged with raping a sex worker.

A prominent Melbourne businessman who raped a sex worker without using a condom has been jailed.

Leon Pompei, 51, was sentenced in the County Court on Friday to a minimum four years and six months’ jail after he was found guilty of raping a Seaford sex worker in May 2019.

The court heard Pompei, of Mordialloc, was a client who had visited the brothel on previous occasions.

Pompei, who was found guilty by a jury which delivered a unanimous verdict in February this year, arrived at the brothel in a ute which displayed a business name just after 6pm.

The jury heard Pompei entered the brothel where signs spelling out it was illegal to remove a condom and those who do will be reported to police were prominently displayed.

Pompei inspected several sex workers before choosing the victim.

He was taken to a room where he opted for a 60-minute deluxe “girlfriend experience” package.

The girlfriend experience includes extras such as kissing, the court was told.

Pompei moved his finger towards the complainant’s anus but she brushed it away, the court was told.

The victim then told Pompei they “need to cover you soon”.

The court heard this referred to the victim noting the 60 minutes were ticking away and Pompei needed to put on a condom.

“Yep that’s OK not yet,” Pompei allegedly said.

The victim pointed to a box of condoms and said Pompei needed to put one on soon, the court was told.

The court heard Pompei grabbed the complainant’s breast and shifted his body up causing his penis to get closer to her vagina.

The complainant reacted as she was uncomfortable, the jury was told.

“I’m just using my fingers,” Pompei said.

The victim kicked Pompei off her, hit the intercom to the reception and told him the booking was “over”.

The court heard a brothel manager entered the room to find the victim “visibly upset”.

The manager said the victim was “distraught”, “panicked” and “uncontrollably crying”.

Pompei got dressed and walked out of the brothel “without fuss”.

The victim was later forensically examined by a doctor.

Pompei told police he admitted being at the brothel but denied he and the victim talked about sexual services or wearing a condom.

He also denied penetrating the victim.

“All of a sudden she just ups and says stop,” Pompei told police.

A video recording of Pompei’s police interview was played to the jury.

Pompei told police he paid $220 for an hour plus an extra $30 for “kissing and oral” and they had been having a “good time”.

Pompei also claimed the complainant had been “calm” and “enjoying herself”.

The victim said, in a statement read to the court, Pompei’s offending left life “diminished”.

“I’ve had to access community services to be able to feed my family on multiple occasions,” the victim said.

“Our level of living has gone from above average to below poverty line as we rely solely on Centrelink, my dreams of owning my own home has been put on hold indefinitely as I struggle to keep up with even basic living costs.

“My social life has been diminished to mainly phone calls and FaceTimes I have missed many important events and occasions, I regularly let my friends down and I don’t even make plans to go anywhere anymore …

“I have lost so many former friends who just couldn’t understand why I have become so flaky and a shell of my former self.”

The court heard Pompei will suffer “hardship” in custody, requires regular medical attention and suffers from PTSD and depression.

Judge Greg Lyons said the victim displayed “great courage” to come forward.

Pompei, who appeared via videolink from Marngoneet Correctional, was jailed for a maximum seven years.

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