‘Parents trusted him’: Ex-MasterChef Australia finalist jailed for molesting 11 children

Former MasterChef Australia performer Paul Douglas Frost has been found guilty of committing sexual offences against 11 children along with 43 offences and awarded 24 years in jail. The 48-year-old was sentenced four years after he was arrested.

According to the New York Post, Frost sexually abused 11 children, as young as 10 years old, between 1996 and 2009 while he was a swim coach in Sydney.

While hearing the case, the court observed that Frost deliberately created a culture in order to facilitate his offending. He normalised sex talk among students and encouraged sexual activity both between and with them. He was also engaged with graphic acts in the swimming school's changing and storage rooms.

"In addition to manipulating the victims, he manipulated the parents who trusted him with their children," the Post quoted Judge Sarah Hugget of Sydney's district court, characterising Frost's crimes as ‘opportunistic, impulsive and spontaneous’.

One of the victims told The Sun that Frost made everything look ‘normal’ that he engaged with him in discussing sexual matters. "I thought talking about that... was just what people did. I thought it was normal because he built that kind of atmosphere around us," he said.

The Judge observed Frost moved from one victim to other as ‘he so desired’ which disrupted their sexual development. "It can only be hoped that the finalisation of the proceedings can offer some form of closure to each of the victims of these offences," she said.