Junior rugby league coach sent indecent messages to underage players

A former junior rugby league coach had a “domineering” influence over four boys he sent “fundamentally degrading” messages to, a court has heard.

A former junior rugby league coach who “psychologically coerced” four underage boys has told a court the young players were the closest people to him at the time, outside of his immediate family.

Joshua Daniel Perestrelo, 27, has pleaded guilty in the NSW District Court to three counts of using a carriage service to send indecent material to a person under 16 and one count of using a carriage service to solicit child pornography.

The offences, committed across 18 days in April 2019, were “fundamentally degrading” to the victims at the Sydney club and by someone with a “domineering level of influence”, crown prosecutor John Song told Perestrelo’s sentence hearing before Judge John North on Friday.

“(He was) utilising his position of trust and standing in the community, which enabled him to readily communicate with multiple children aged 13 to 14.”

Quoting a report from forensic psychiatrist Dr Stephen Allnutt, Mr Song said Perestrelo “psychologically coerced and caused harm to four of these children” for sexual gratification.

Asked by the crown prosecutor if his motivation “was a mixture of sexual gratification from the conversation topics themselves and sexual gratification from speaking to the children”, Perestrelo replied: “Yeah.”

Mr Song added: “And it would be accurate to say that you have a sexual interest in ‘younger guys’?”

“Yes,” the 27-year-old replied.

Former junior rugby league coach Joshua Perestrelo (L). Picture: Supplied

‘I KNEW IT WAS WRONG’

According to the agreed facts, one of the boys sent an image of adult pornography to an Instagram group chat he shared with Perestrelo.

“That was some rank looking vag haha … who looks at pics these days?” Perestrelo replied.

The next day, the coach messaged the boy separately and wrote: “Pop up if you wanna chat more about it.”

He agreed with Mr Song that by asking that question, he was “seeking sexual gratification to speak more about that topic”.

The court also heard Perestrelo had asked one boy to have a Skype conversation with a “screen share” option so they could “share the same pornographic video, pretty much” and masturbate at the same time.

But when the child said he was too tired, Perestrelo said he was “running scared”.

Asked by the prosecutor why he sent a message telling one boy the “chat stays between us only though, alright?”, Perestrelo said: “I guess I knew it was wrong.”

His barrister Brett Longville asked: “Why did this happen?”

“I think it was just looking for, that topic of conversation, and just looking for I suppose a way to feel normal because at that point I still hadn’t accepted myself or my sexuality which on a daily basis was extremely difficult,” Perestrelo said.

“The whole thing was immature. I think I was immature in my thoughts towards my own sexuality which in turn led to immaturity of the conversations.”

Perestrelo sobbed when Mr Longville asked whether he “started to realise something” about himself around the ages of 15 and 16.

“I started to question my sexuality,” he said.

“I started to have an attraction to males. Going to an all-boys school made it pretty hard to come to terms with.”

The former Christian Brothers’ High School student said he came from a “pretty traditional family” and religion played a part “to an extent”.

“(A) pretty traditional family where I suppose homosexuality wasn’t put in the greatest light,” Perestrelo said.

He said it was a realisation he had struggled with for a number of years and that he had kept quiet.

Perestrelo (centre) is due to be sentenced next week.

‘CLOSEST PEOPLE’ AT THE TIME

Perestrelo said he “lost touch” with his high school friends who went to different universities for other courses.

“My main group of friends were into the clubbing scene which is something I wasn’t really into,” he said.

He completed a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Management at the University of Technology Sydney on the upper north shore before “teaching kids cricket” and then getting a full-time job in a tennis centre.

Perestrelo said he and his university friends “all came from pretty far distances”.

“In terms of getting together it made it extremely hard,” he said, adding that “the same sort of thing happened” as after school.

The crown prosecutor asked Perestrelo whether he had any close friends around his age at the time of his offending.

“I had a couple through refereeing and then one that I coached through cricket,” he said, adding that they were “just starting” to see each other regularly through golf and he would watch NRL games with another.

He said it was “correct” the main group of people he was seeing were the boys.

Mr Song asked: “Would you agree with me when I say that the closest people to you at that time, apart from your immediate family, were the children in that rugby league team?”

“Yes,” Perestrelo replied.

Perestrelo said he realised when he was a teenager he was attracted to males.

‘I DIDN’T MEAN TO HURT THEM’

Mr Song asked Perestrelo to explain the impact he thinks the messages will have on the children in the future.

“I’m not exactly sure,” he said.

“I think potentially … their thoughts towards sex or what may be normal.

“Just, I suppose, if their sexual habits and stuff like that are normal in the future.”

He said he “didn’t mean to hurt them in any way” and “definitely betrayed their trust”, adding that his crimes have brought deep shame and embarrassment on himself and his parents.

“I’m extremely sorry to the boys and their families and the trust I broke with both of them,” Perestrelo said.

“I can only hope that they can move on and it hasn’t affected them too negatively.

“And the shame I brought on the club as well, it’s not a very big club, very close-knit, and to bring them into this light isn’t fair on them or the players and the parents there.”

He said his parents have given him “pretty much anything” he has ever needed.

“(To) throw this back on them and in their face and the fact that they still supported me, I just wish I could go back 18 months and take it all back,” he said.

“It’s something I can’t take back but I need to be strong for them and show that these are mistakes and it doesn’t define me as a person but just makes me stronger for the future.”

PROSPECTS FOR THE FUTURE

Perestrelo has been working as a flyer distributor since February but told the court it’s not something he wants to do for the rest of his life.

He said when he was working full-time in the sporting industry, it “kind of saturated” his enjoyment of sport.

Judge North asked: “Do you think the fact that you were charged with these serious offences has had a lot to do with that?”

“In a way, I think,” Perestrelo replied.

“I actually really want to get into bar work. It’s something that I’ve come to like and I just feel like it’s kind of my vibe. I like talking to people, I like being around people.”

Mr Song submitted it was “too early” to make a positive finding on Perestrelo’s prospects of rehabilitation, noting “there isn’t any current treatment booked in place”.

He argued at least some portion of any sentence imposed should be spent in custody.

Mr Longville asked Judge North to take into account his client’s remorse, and that he had said: “I hate myself for it.”

He asked the judge to consider immediate release if he finds the “imprisonment threshold has been breached”.

“It is my respectful submission that yes these are serious matters and we as a society must do everything possible to shield children from this sort of conduct, there’s no doubt about that,” Mr Longville said.

“Before you today, Mr Perestrelo has laid himself bare before you in his evidence, he’s shed a tear or two, that’s very genuine conduct, he’s been very honest with you.”

Perestrelo said a psychologist helped him deal with depression and anxiety and a psychiatrist had helped him “discover and accept my sexuality for what it is, and really put me in a good mental position to move forward”.

He said he is willing to undergo the psychological and/or psychiatric treatment recommended by Dr Allnutt.

Perestrelo remains on bail and is due to be sentenced next week.