NSW Nationals MP Michael Johnsen denies sex worker rape allegation

NSW Nationals MP Michael Johnsen has revealed he is the member of the Berejiklian government accused of raping a sex worker.

NSW Nationals MP Michael Johnsen.

NSW Nationals MP Michael Johnsen has revealed he is the member of the Berejiklian government accused of raping a sex worker in the Blue Mountains.

The Upper Hunter MP stepped down from his role as a parliamentary secretary and said he would not sit in either the ­Nationals or joint Coalition party­rooms until a police investigation was completed.

Mr Johnsen released a statement on Wednesday night, hours after Labor Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle told NSW parliament police were investigating an alleged rape of a sex worker by a member of the ­government.

Mr Johnsen said he was “devastated” by the allegations and had spoken with NSW police on his own accord, but declared he was “confident any investigation will conclude I am an innocent party”.

“Without admission, I have chosen to step aside from my parliamentary secretary role, and will not sit in the Nationals partyroom nor the joint partyroom,” Mr Johnsen said. “I will be taking leave, effective immediately, for a short duration.”

Earlier, Ms Doyle told the Legislative Assembly she had been contacted 18 months ago by a sex worker who had been allegedly raped by a “government member of this chamber”.

According to Ms Doyle, the ­alleged rape took place at a ­“secluded lookout” at Yellow Rock in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

While Ms Doyle said the sex worker was initially reluctant to go to police, the allegation had since been reported and was being investigated by the NSW Police Child Abuse and Sex Crimes squad.

She said the woman had agreed to perform oral sex for $200 and had been clear she was not willing to have penetrative sex, but the member of the government allegedly proceeded to rape the sex worker. “Towards the end, the man moved around behind her and assaulted her in a way she had not consented to,” Ms Doyle said.

“In her emails to me, she said once the assault began, she just wanted it to finish — and on that, she is emphatic.

“It was an assault, and it was against her explicit instructions. She did not consent. It was rape.

“This assault has had terrible consequences for the woman’s mental health and wellbeing.

“She is fearful, hurt and angry that a powerful man felt entitled to assault her, and that he might get away with it because the justice system is so stacked against victims of assault, and even more stacked against sex workers and (those) who are in such vulnerable positions.

“His power and privileged position as a civic leader make that fear, anger and hurt all the worse.”

The opposition spokes­woman for women said the sex worker had responded to a wanted ad through the classifieds website Locanto, and had agreed to meet the government MP as he was “travelling home … along his journey north” from Sydney.

The arrangement involved “emotional labour”, as the sex worker had to hear about his ­“important job” and “significant workload”.

Ms Doyle said the pair had shared their interest in local artworks at regional galleries.

It is understood Labor staffers had no idea Ms Doyle was going to deliver the speech, and were holding crisis talks on Wednesday night after the allegations were aired.