A former Liberal Member of Parliament, Roderick “Rory” Amon, is set to stand trial next year on charges of sexually assaulting a teenager after meeting on a hook-up website. The 35-year-old is accused of posing as a 17-year-old while communicating with the then-13-year-old boy in mid-2017. Prosecutors claim the boy, who initially stated he was 15, agreed to meet Amon in person.
According to allegations, Amon insisted on a private meeting place, leading the teenager to a car park bathroom where he is said to have committed the assaults on two occasions. At the time, Amon was a local councillor and would later secure the Liberal safe seat of Pittwater in Sydney’s northern beaches.
In court proceedings at the Sydney District Court, Amon entered a not guilty plea to five charges related to sexual intercourse with a person aged between 10 and 14, as well as to five additional charges linked to the alleged illegal encounters. A scheduled 10-day trial is planned for February 2026.
Judge Stephen Hanley presided over the case, which revealed that prosecutors expect to introduce further material from Snapchat, the platform where Amon and the boy had communicated, within three months. The complainant, now in his twenties, alleges that Amon continued sending him explicit images until the politician was charged with child sexual abuse in August 2024.
Amon, who had been serving as the opposition spokesperson on youth issues, was elected to parliament in March 2023 but resigned shortly after his arrest. His departure from the position led to a by-election that removed the seat from Liberal control for the first time in 50 years.
Support resources are available for those affected by sexual assault through the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732) and Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800.