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A New South Wales MP that has quit parliament hours after being charged with child sex offence has also been removed as a referee on the biggest day of Sydney’s rugby calendar.
NSW MP for Pittwater Rory Amon was charged with five counts of having sexual intercourse with a child between the ages of 10 and 14 after he was arrested at Manly police station at 6am on Friday.
Amon was also scheduled to officiate Saturday’s Shute Shield rugby grand final between Eastern Suburbs and Northern Suburbs but has been replaced.
The Shute Shield grand final is the pinnacle of Sydney rugby and the premier club rugby competition in Australia.
Amon was due to help officiate the first grade grand final as the No.5 official at Leichhardt Oval today, but the NSW Rugby Referee’s Association was forced to scramble for a replacement last minute.
John McCarthy, who was named as the No.5 official for the preceding match between Eastern Suburbs vs Manly Marlins in second division will double up and also officiate in the first grade match.
NSW Rugby referee Rory Amon has been stood down from the Shute Shield first grade grand final today at Leichhardt Oval
Amon has vowed to fight ten child sex offences he allegedly committed against a 13-year-old boy.
Amon, 35, resigned from his seat in the NSW electorate of Pittwater on Friday – just hours after he was charged with assaulting a teenage boy who was known to him in Mona Vale, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, in 2017.
The charges include five counts of having sexual intercourse with person over 10 and under 14, and two counts of attempted sexual intercourse with a child over 10 and under 14.
He was also charged with two counts of indecent assault on a person under 16 years of age, and committing an act of indecency with person under 16 years.
His lawyers appeared in Manly Local Court on Friday afternoon and tried to block media from identifying him and reporting the allegations, but the application was withdrawn and dismissed.
Amon then released a statement maintaining his innocence, and confirming his resignation from the NSW Liberal Party.
‘Today I have been charged in relation to events alleged to have taken place in 2017,’ he said.
‘I deny all charges, and will make my case in the courts, not in the media. Accordingly, I will make no further comment on the case.’
‘The nature of the charges against me are such that I will be unable to continue to fully represent my community in parliament. As a result, I have tendered my resignation as the Member for Pittwater, effective immediately.’
Rory Amon (pictured) was asked to resign from the NSW Liberal Party on Friday
Amon said his constituents deserved a representative who was able to dedicate themselves to the community.
‘As I defend myself against these charges, I will not be able to devote my full energy to representing them,’ he said.
‘Thank you to all those who have supported me.
‘It’s been the greatest honour of my life to represent my community on Northern Beaches Council from September 2017, and as the Member for Pittwater since March 2023.’
Amon was granted conditional bail. He must report to police once daily and he is not allowed to contact the alleged victim or any witnesses for the prosecution.
NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman confirmed he asked for Amon’s resignation when he learned about the charges earlier on Friday.
‘The charges against Rory Amon are extremely serious,’ he said in a statement.
‘Upon learning of these charges, I asked for and received Mr Amon’s immediate resignation from the Liberal Party.
‘While Mr Amon is entitled to the presumption of innocence, a criminal trial will be some time away and in the meantime the citizens of Pittwater are entitled to have a member of Parliament who can discharge their duties in the community fully.’
The investigation related to reports of a sexual assault in Mona Vale in Sydney‘s northern beaches in 2017.
Liberal MP Rory Amon has been charged with five counts of underage sex with a teenage boy
‘Police were told a teenage boy was allegedly sexually assaulted by a man – who was known to him – at an address in Mona Vale,’ a NSW Police spokesman said.
‘In March 2023, Strike Force NOORAL was established to investigate the incident.
‘Following extensive inquiries, a 35-year-old man was arrested at Manly Police Station about 6am today.’
He was given strict conditional bail to appear at Manly Local Court on September 18.
Amon was elected to the Northern Beaches seat of Pittwater last year to replace retiring minister Rob Stokes.
He became the Shadow Assistant Minister for Transport and Roads, the Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure, and the Shadow Assistant Minister for Youth.
NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb was asked about the charges at budget estimates on Friday.
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Robert Borsak asked Ms Webb if she could inform parliament ‘about the processes and charges in relation to Mr Amon’s charging’.
‘He is currently in custody awaiting an appearance in court, will the police support an application for bail from him?’ he asked.
‘That will be up to the bail sergeant,’ Ms Webb replied.
‘A bail sergeant … makes the determination, and that’s the decision of the bail sergeant,’ she said.
Police Minister Yasmin Catley said she did not know about the charges.
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