Former MasterChef Australia finalist Paul Douglas Frost will serve a minimum of 24 years in prison for committing 43 sexual offenses against 11 children while he worked as a swim coach in Sydney, Australia.
The verdict, delivered by Judge Sarah Huggett at Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court on Thursday, came more than four years after Frost’s arrest.
Judge Huggett imposed a maximum term of 32 years, noting that Frost’s crimes spanned over a decade and involved children as young as 10.
She highlighted the “escalating gravity and brazenness” of the offenses, emphasizing that Frost moved from one victim to the next at will.
Frost, a participant in the first season of the Network Ten show, was found guilty on June 14 of sexually abusing 10 boys and one girl during the 1990s and 2000s.
The youngest victim was nine or 10 years old when the abuse began, while the oldest was molested until the age of 16.
Judge Huggett stated that Frost had shown no remorse for his actions, dismissing character references that portrayed him as a protector of young people.
“There is no evidence that would permit me to find on balance that he is contrite or remorseful,” she remarked.
Frost, appearing via audiovisual link from Shortland Correctional Centre, displayed minimal reaction to the sentencing.
Frost believed he was the son of renowned swimming coach Doug Frost, who guided Ian Thorpe to Olympic success.
He was however the son of a family friend and did not learn the identity of his biological father until the age of 40.
Most of Frost’s offenses occurred at his swimming school in southwest Sydney, in various locations, including the change rooms, kickboard rooms, pool, and deck.
Testimonies from victims detailed Frost’s manipulation, encouraging explicit discussions about sex and masturbation, which eventually led to inappropriate physical contact.
Most of Frost’s offenses occurred at his swimming school in southwest Sydney, in various locations, including the change rooms, kickboard rooms, pool, and deck.
The court heard accounts of Frost coercing victims into secrecy after assaults.
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Judge Huggett characterized Frost’s crimes as “opportunistic, impulsive, and spontaneous,” creating an environment that normalized explicit discussions.
Frost’s legal proceedings faced complications, with a discharged jury in the first trial in August 2022 due to allegations of bullying and bickering.