An Australian professional tennis coach, Mark Fitzpatrick, has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing one of his teen students for more than two years.
Mark Fitzpatrick is under trial for marauding the gifted young tennis player from when she was just 13.
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Prosecutor Andrew Tinney, SC, told the County Court on Wednesday that Fitzpatrick went to Singapore with the girl in early December 2005 for a tennis tournament and put pressure on her to have sex.
The prosecutor alleged Fitzpatrick had sex with her on their final night in Singapore, and at that time the girl was just 13 and he was a 27-year old married man.
Tinney said on their return to Melbourne, Fitzpatrick started sending the girl text messages acknowledging his love for her.
The teen girl sent her coach more than 50,000 text messages and Fitzpatrick sent her more than 19,000 texts.
“From early on in 2006, the prisoner (Fitzpatrick) started to take advantage of the many opportunities that arose for him to be alone with the complainant to have sex with her,” The Age quoted Tinney, as saying.
Police had questioned Fitzpatrick on May 19, 2010, but he strongly denied having ever been involved in any physical or sexual relationship with the girl, describing the allegations as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘an absolute joke’.
The girl told the court today that Fitzpatrick had stolen her virginity and she had been haunted by his sexual desires.
“Mark, you used me as your child sex toy. It was all about you and your sexual desires. I will never forgive you for what you have done to me. You may have had control of me as a little girl but as of today you will no longer have that,” the victim girl said.u00a0
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