A former Australian rules umpiring coach allegedly pretended to be a police officer and lured a teenage boy to "private places" to sexually assault him.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Michael Henry Rigo, 68, was granted bail when he faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday, charged with eight offences over crimes allegedly committed between 1985 and 1987.
The charges, which all related to a teenager Rigo coached, were four counts each of sexual intercourse without consent and committing an act of indecency without consent.
Documents tendered to the court describe how Rigo allegedly ingratiated himself with the boy's parents to secure one-on-one time with the child.
The boy believed Rigo worked for a policing intelligence service, which made him fearful of retaliating or resisting the alleged abuse.
Reported incidents, described in graphic detail, include one in which Rigo allegedly tied the boy up.
Rigo also allegedly told the child to "shut his mouth", warning him it would ruin his reputation and prevent him from obtaining his dream job if he told anyone about the alleged abuse.
Decades later, in March, the alleged victim spoke out to his parents and police.
The ensuing investigation resulted in detectives, from ACT Policing's sexual assault and child abuse team, arresting Rigo at his Denman Prospect home on Thursday night.
During a search, police claim the 68-year-old told them he was not in the ACT in 1985.
Rigo also said he knew the alleged victim before declining to comment further.
While prosecutors did not oppose Rigo's release on Friday, there was a dispute over bail conditions.
Legal Aid lawyer Lorenna Wienert objected to proposed conditions that would require Rigo to report to police, surrender his passport and abstain from contact with children.
Ms Wienert said Rigo, who was described as a manager in "the ambulance sector", had ongoing connections to the ACT community, including a job and grandchildren.
Prosecutor Mitchell Greig told the court Rigo was accused of "grooming-type" behaviour.
He said this involved Rigo abusing a position of trust to take the boy to "private places", then using his knowledge of the child's career aspirations to keep him quiet about what occurred.
Special magistrate Sean Richter ultimately agreed with Ms Wienert that the risk of flight was minimal, noting Rigo's ties to the ACT.
Mr Richter did not require Rigo to surrender his passport but ordered the 68-year-old to report to Woden Police Station once per week and live at a Denman Prospect address.
He ordered that no children were to attend the home while Rigo was present unless the defendant's wife or another adult were also there.
Rigo, who signalled an intention to engage a private lawyer, is due back in court in August. He did not enter pleas.
MORE COURT AND CRIME NEWS:
Earlier, Detective Acting Inspector Lauren Gilliland said police understood Rigo had been involved with numerous community organisations since the mid-1980s.
She said he had been known to attend community events, and that he may have lived in South Australia before moving to the ACT.
"There's no information at this time that suggests the man offended in South Australia," Detective Acting Inspector Gilliland said.
"However, if you have any information with respect to assisting this investigation, please come forward. Make contact with ACT Policing."
Detective Acting Inspector Gilliland noted the alleged victim, who is now a man in his 50s, had come forward "after a considerable period of time".
"I can only imagine how much courage it would have taken for [him] to do so," she said.
"We understand, on average, it takes 20 years for male survivors of childhood sexual abuse to report such matters to police.
"I strongly encourage anyone that's been the victim of childhood sexual abuse, or any sexual offences in the ACT, to make contact with police and report the matter.
"There is no statute of limitations with respect to sexual offences in the ACT. It's never too late to report such offences."
Anyone with information relating to this matter is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers website.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual violence, you can report it by attending a police station or calling ACT Policing operations on 131 444.
You can also submit an online report for historical sexual assault for incidents that occurred more than six months ago.
The ACT Policing website has a dedicated section for victims of sexual assault, with information and a range of advice and details of support options.
"You will be treated with respect and dignity," Detective Acting Inspector Gilliland said.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
