A former mayor of Dubbo will face trial over an alleged sexual assault dating back 20 years, after pleading not guilty in a local court today.
Ben Shields, 42, who served on the Dubbo Regional Council for two decades, was arrested in June and charged with sexual intercourse without consent.
He entered a not guilty plea before Magistrate Fiona Toose in the Penrith Local Court.
A second charge of possessing a conversation obtained by a surveillance device was today dismissed and withdrawn.
Accused of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old in January 2003 who was known to him, Mr Shields was 22 and a councillor at the time of the alleged incident.
The charges were the culmination of a months-long investigation by police after a report was filed in November 2021.
In documents tendered to court in August, police said the victim spoke to a relative about the allegations around the time it was reported to police.
The documents detailed that police intercepted a seven-minute phone call between Mr Shields and the complainant as part of the investigation, when he was allegedly heard asking, "Would an apology or settlement or anything like that help?"
Mr Shields remains on bail and the case will head to the District Court at Penrith in May, when a trial date will be set.
