Liberal MP accused of repeatedly raping a 13-year-old boy has been removed as referee for Sydney rugby’s grand final day

A New South Wales MP who walked out of parliament hours after being accused of child abuse has also been sacked as a referee on the biggest day of rugby league in Sydney.

Rory Amon, MP for Pittwater in New South Wales, was charged with five counts of sexual intercourse with a child aged between 10 and 14 after he was arrested at Manly police station at 6am on Friday.

Amon was also due to officiate the Shute Shield rugby final between Eastern Suburbs and Northern Suburbs on Saturday, but he has been replaced.

The Shute Shield final is the pinnacle of rugby in Sydney and the premier club rugby competition in Australia.

Amon was due to officiate at today’s Division 1 final at Leichhardt Oval as referee number 5, but the NSW Rugby Referee’s Association had to find a replacement at the last minute.

John McCarthy, who was appointed No. 5 umpire for the previous Division Two match between Eastern Suburbs and Manly Marlins, will also officiate the Division One match.

Amon has promised to defend himself against ten counts of child sex crimes he allegedly committed against a 13-year-old boy.

Amon, 35, resigned as a voter in the New South Wales constituency of Pittwater on Friday, just hours after he was charged in 2017 with assaulting a teenage boy he knew in Mona Vale, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

The charges include five counts of sexual intercourse with a person between the ages of 10 and 14, and two counts of attempted sexual intercourse with a child between the ages of 10 and 14.

He was also charged with two counts of sexual assault on a person under 16 and committing an act of sexual assault on a person under 16.

His lawyers appeared at the Manly District Court on Friday afternoon and attempted to prevent the media from identifying him and reporting the allegations, but the application was withdrawn and dismissed.

Amon subsequently pleaded not guilty and confirmed that he had resigned from the NSW Liberal Party.

“Today I have been charged in connection with events that allegedly took place in 2017,” he said.

“I deny all allegations and will plead my case in the courts, not in the media. Therefore, I will not be making any further comment on the matter.”

“The nature of the charges against me is such that I can no longer fully represent my community in Parliament. As a result, I have resigned as Member for Pittwater, effective immediately.”

Amon said his constituents deserved a representative who could commit to the community.

“Because I have to defend myself against these charges, I cannot devote my full energy to my defense,” he said.

‘Thank you to everyone who supported me.

“It has been the greatest honour of my life to represent my community on the Northern Beaches City Council since September 2017 and as the Member for Pittwater since March 2023.”

Amon was granted conditional bail, which requires him to report to police once a day and he is not allowed to contact the alleged victim or any of the prosecution’s witnesses.

New South Wales Opposition Leader Mark Speakman confirmed he had called for Amon’s resignation when he learned of the allegations earlier on Friday.

“The charges against Rory Amon are extremely serious,” he said in a statement.

When I heard of these allegations, I demanded and obtained Mr Amon’s immediate resignation from the Liberal Party.

“While Mr Amon is entitled to the presumption of innocence, it will be some time before a criminal case is brought. In the meantime, the citizens of Pittwater deserve a Member of Parliament who can fully discharge his duties in the community.”

The investigation related to reports of sexual abuse in Mona Vale, on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, in 2017.

“Police were told that a teenage boy had been sexually assaulted by a man he knew at an address in Mona Vale,” a New South Wales Police spokesperson said.

‘In March 2023, Strike Force NOORAL was established to investigate the incident.

‘Following extensive investigations, a 35-year-old man was arrested at Manly Police Station today at around 6am.’

He was given a strict conditional bail to appear in Manly District Court on September 18.

Amon was elected last year in the Northern Beaches ward of Pittwater to replace outgoing minister Rob Stokes.

He became Shadow Minister for Transport and Roads, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Shadow Minister for Youth.

New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb was questioned about the allegations at the budget hearing on Friday.

Robert Borsak, MP for Riflemen, Fishermen and Farmers, asked Ms Webb if she could inform parliament ‘about the proceedings and charges relating to the accusation of Mr Amon’.

“He is currently in custody awaiting his appearance in court. Will the police support a bail application from him?” he asked.

“That’s up to the surety,” Mrs. Webb replied.

“A bail bondsman … makes the decision, and that’s the bail bondsman’s decision,” she said.

Police Minister Yasmin Catley said she was not aware of the charges.