A senior out-of-home care manager has formally entered pleas of not guilty to 30 serious charges, including rape and choking, allegedly committed against five female colleagues across regional and metropolitan New South Wales.
Damian Ellis Spohr, whose career in the state’s residential care sector placed him in positions of administrative and supervisory authority, rejected every allegation during a court appearance this week, as reported by ABC News NSW. The charges traverse an alleged pattern of offending beginning in 2020 and continuing until his arrest earlier this year.
Pattern of Allegations Across Multiple Workplaces
Court documents outline an extensive indictment detailing sexual violence, non-consensual sexual touching, and acts of physical intimidation directed at five separate co-workers. ABC News NSW reported that the alleged victims were each employed within organisations contracted to provide residential out-of-home care to vulnerable children.
The offences are alleged to have taken place across several facilities and private properties throughout New South Wales. In multiple instances, prosecutors have alleged that Mr Spohr choked complainants to the point of rendering them insensible or unable to resist, forming the basis of multiple counts of choking with intent to commit an indictable offence under the state's Crimes Act.
The prosecution contends that the conduct occurred both during shift hours and in social circumstances linked to employment within the sector, which often requires staff to work extended shifts in isolated, home-like environments.
Dozens of Indictable Offences Formalised in Court
Mr Spohr appeared before the court to enter formal denials across the entire indictment. The 30 charges comprise multiple counts of sexual intercourse without consent, aggravated sexual assault, sexual touching without consent, and intentional choking.
Defence counsel confirmed that all matters would be defended at trial. Judicial officers managing the case have noted the complexity of managing a trial involving five separate complainants and evidence traversing half a decade of employment records, digital correspondence, and forensic reports.
ABC News NSW reported that investigators launched a targeted inquiry following initial complaints brought by former staff members, which subsequently led detectives to identify further alleged victims across Mr Spohr's successive employment postings.
Sector Faces Heightened Scrutiny Over Workplace Safety
The proceedings have intensified focus on the governance and internal reporting safeguards within the out-of-home care system. The sector, funded extensively through the Department of Communities and Justice and delivered largely by non-government organisations, relies heavily on shift-based care staff supervising vulnerable young people removed from their families.
Workplace advocates have frequently raised concerns regarding power imbalances in residential homes, where managers often exercise significant unilateral control over rosters, performance assessments, and professional advancement.
Mr Spohr remains subject to strict bail conditions, including non-association directives barring contact with all five complainants and prospective prosecution witnesses, as well as exclusions from operating within youth services. The matter will return to court later this year for case management ahead of an anticipated District Court trial.