Former Rockdale Opera Company actor Rory Struthers pleads guilty to Melbourne sexual assault

An amateur actor who upskirted multiple girls and women also sexually assaulted a woman while visiting Melbourne for a show.

Rory Struthers pleaded guilty to sexual assault. Facebook.

An amateur actor has been exposed as serial sex fiend whose trail of victims included a woman he sexually assaulted while in Melbourne.

Rory Struthers, 33, pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday to sexual assault.

Struthers, who appeared via videolink from NSW, assaulted his victim while at a North Melbourne opera event in 2017.

The court heard Struthers was sitting next to his victim when the brazen grub assaulted the woman during the show.

Struthers was an actor with the Sydney-based Rockdale Opera Company at the time of the assault and had been cast in a then upcoming 2017 production of The Gondoliers.

The court heard Struthers had earlier photographed and filmed the groin of a Rockdale Opera Company colleague in 2016.

The pair had been working on a production in NSW at the time and Struthers was later found guilty in November 2018 of commit an act of indecency.

Struthers, from Tumbi Umbi on Sydney’s Central Coast, had to briefly leave the hearing after he couldn’t stop sobbing.

“I’m starting to feel sick,” he said.

Struthers’ lawyer told the court his client was also sentenced for a string of sex offences he committed in NSW November 2016 and September 2017.

The fiend filmed victims while his fly was undone in a manner which was described as “upskirting”.

The court was told a 14-year-old girl and 17-year-old girl were among Struthers many victims.

Struthers was sentenced to three concurrent community orders and placed on the child protection registry, the court heard.

Struthers sought treatment after his arrest and was diagnosed with adult autism.

A psychologist opined Struthers “lacked etiquette” and was “unable to detect the nuances of gaining full consent for sexual overtures” due to his autism.

Struthers, who works in admin, has maintained stable employment and is in a relationship with a woman, the court heard.

The defence submitted delay in the matter due to “police inactivity” should be taken into account when sentencing.

Magistrate Pauline Spencer ordered Struthers be assessed for a community correction order while advising she hadn’t made a decision on sentencing yet.

Struthers, who may have to shift to Victoria to serve the sentence imposed, will be sentenced on August 16.

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