NSW Independent MP Gareth Ward has been found guilty of sexually abusing two men.
A jury has found Ward guilty on three counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual intercourse without consent.
The NSW District Court judge will hand down a sentence for Ward at a later date. Some of the charges against him carry a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.
Ward pleaded not guilty to all charges levelled against him and will have the option to appeal the verdict.
Gareth Ward
Gareth Ward was a former NSW Liberal Minister, first elected to State Parliament in 2011.
Ward left the party when historic sexual abuse allegations first surfaced against him four years ago, relating to two men aged 18 and 24 at the time of the indecent acts.
Police later charged him, and he’s now been found guilty.
Ward was re-elected in his Kiama electorate at the 2023 state election. An MP’s seat is declared vacant if they’re jailed for more than five years.
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Response
NSW state Liberal leader Mark Speakman released a statement in response to Ward’s guilty verdict.
“What any victim of sexual abuse endurse is appalling and their strength in coming forward can’t be overstated,” Speakman said.
“There is no excuse for the criminal behaviour... a complete abuse of power which has no place anywhere, let alone by those entrusted by the public to represent them.”
