Paul Frost, former finalist of MasterChef Australia 2009, has been sentenced to a minimum of 24 years in prison for child sex crimes.
**Content warning: This article may contain references involving child sex crimes that may trigger readers.**
Frost, a contestant from the inaugural season of the esteemed Network Ten program, was found guilty on June 14 of perpetrating sexual abuse against 10 boys and one girl throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
Then, on Thursday, November 16, he was found guilty of committing 43 sexual offences against 11 children during his time as a swim coach in Sydney.
During the ruling, Judge Sarah Huggett pronounced the judgement, concluding a lengthy legal process of more than four years since Frost’s arrest.
Taking into account the gravity and duration of Frost’s crimes — which spanned over a decade and victimising children as young as 10 — Judge Huggett handed down a maximum sentence of 32 years.
According to the Daily Mail Australia, the Judge highlighted the “escalating gravity and brazenness” of the offences, saying that Frost moved from one victim to the next at will.
The majority of the offences took place at his swimming school in southwest Sydney, across different areas such as the change rooms, kickboard rooms, the pool, and the deck.
According to News.com.au, testimonies from victims detailed Frost’s “manipulation, encouraging explicit discussions about sex and masturbation, which eventually led to inappropriate physical contact” and swore his victims to secrecy.
Judge Huggett described Frost’s actions as “opportunistic, impulsive, and spontaneous”, fostering an atmosphere that normalised explicit discussions.
Paul Frost’s lack of remorse
Judge Huggett also noted that Frost’s lack of remorse for his actions was evident, disregarding character witnesses that depicted him as a defender of minors.
“There is no evidence that would permit me to find on balance that he is contrite or remorseful,” she said
Appearing via audiovisual link from Shortland Correctional Centre, Frost expressed little response to the sentencing.
Following his arrest in 2019, he was dismissed from his positions at the University of NSW and Malabar Public School and was subsequently incarcerated.
Frost’s anticipated release date is set for June 3, 2047, and he is currently under protective custody due to an assault that occurred in July at the Correctional Centre.
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