Former MasterChef Australia finalist Paul Douglas Frost will serve a minimum of 24 years in prison for committing 43 sexual offences against 11 children while he worked as a swim coach in Sydney.
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 offences, emphasising 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 offences 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.
The court heard accounts of Frost coercing victims into secrecy after assaults.
Judge Huggett characterised Frost’s crimes as “opportunistic, impulsive, and spontaneous,” creating an environment that normalised 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.
During the second trial, a non-publication order prevented the media from reporting on evidence until Frost was found guilty.
On Thursday, Judge Huggett said Frost, who was in his 20s during the offending, “created opportunities for him to be alone” with the victims.
“In addition to manipulating the victims, he manipulated the parents who trusted him with their children,” she added.
Judge Huggett noted that many of the victims were unaware what Frost did was wrong or feared they wouldn’t be believed if they spoke up.
She said the abuse varied between digital penetration of genitalia, the anus, fellatio and touching of genitalia, and encouraging others to swim naked or to touch other victims.
Judge Huggett said that while Frost had not offended since 2010, it was unlikely due to his rehabilitation but coincided with the swim school’s closure.
His prospects of rehabilitation, she said they were “guarded” because he maintained his innocence and lacked any remorse.
Despite reaching the finals of MasterChef Australia in 2009, Frost’s life took a downard spiral after a failed food venture, subsequent bankruptcy in 2016, and divorce in 2021/2022.
After his arrest in 2019, he lost his jobs at the University of NSW and Malabar Public School, ultimately leading to his current imprisonment.
Frost’s earliest possible release date is June 3, 2047, with him currently held in protective custody following an assault in July at Shortland Correctional Centre.