A Sydney man who lured an aspiring model to his home for a photoshoot before sexually assaulting her has avoided jail time.
Phillip Lopes invited the woman to attend a photo shoot on Boxing Day 2013 at Shepparton, the woman arrived alone and surprised to find the shoot was at his house.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald Lopes then asked the women to strip down to her underwear before asking to her to remove all items so she was completely naked. The then preceded to take photos of her, spread her legs and touched her breasts and vagina.
Judge Barbara Cotterell said during a hearing on Tuesday that the woman felt pressured to undress, and was “frozen in shock” while naked.
Afterwards, Lopes reportedly told the woman: “We have one rule here: what happens on a photo shoot stays on a photo shoot.”
The woman has since left her job due to depression, has engaged in self-harm and become estranged from her family.
The 45-year-old man pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault but the judge found that despite the woman’s shock and distress afterwards, there was no evidence to show it was not consensual.
“You were an older man in a position of influence over a young and inexperienced woman … you took advantage of the situation to the detriment of the complainant.”
Aviding the maximum 10-year jail term, Lopes was handed a two-year community corrections order and must serve 180 hours of unpaid work.
