A jury has found former NSW Labor minister Milton Orkopoulos guilty of child sexual abuse and drug charges.
The 65-year-old former Member for Swansea was facing 28 charges, including eight counts of supplying a prohibited drug, eight counts of indecent assault, and 11 counts of sexual intercourse with a person aged between 10 and 16.
The offences relate to four boys, and took place in the Lake Macquarie area and on the Mid North Coast, between 1993 and 2003.
Orkopoulos had pleaded not guilty to all charges in Sydney’s Downing Centre District Court.
The jury rejected his evidence on all but two charges.
Today, Orkopoulos was found guilty of 26 child sex and drug offences.
He was found not guilty of one drug offence, and of one count of perverting the course of justice, relating to an alleged statement retracting an allegation.
After the jury foreman read out the verdicts, Judge Jane Culver turned to jurors to thank them for their service.
The judge said it would not have been easy, noting the subject matter of the trial.
She said counselling services were available if any of them were distressed.
The judge said she would decided on a sentencing date for Orkopoulos at a later date.
Orkopoulos has already served time in prison for earlier offences.
In 2008, he was jailed after being found guilty of 30 child sex and drugs charges, relating to three other boys.
He was released in 2020 after an 11-year stint in prison, but was placed back into custody weeks later for allegedly violating parole.
His earlier crimes took place in the Hunter Valley region and Lake Macquarie.
Orkopoulos served as Aboriginal affairs minister in NSW under former Premier Morris Iemma.
