A Canberra man has been found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl he took home from the city with her friend in 2022.
Warning: This story contains descriptions of child sexual abuse.
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Josh Fenwick, 29, was visibly shocked, putting his head in his hands, as the jury delivered its verdict after a day and a half of deliberations.
He was also charged with producing child abuse material and using a carriage service to distribute it.
That charge related to allegations he had filmed himself having sex with one of the girls, before sending it to the other.
The jury was unable to reach a verdict on either of those two charges.
Fenwick was charged along with his housemate, Thiago Tonti Fanti, 48, who also faced a charge of rape.
But the jury found him not guilty of that charge early on Thursday afternoon.
Fenwick’s housemate, Thiago Tonti Fanti, blamed Fenwick for his being charged and was found not guilty of rape. (ABC News: Alfred Beales)
The court had heard one of the girls had a fight with her mother and ran out of the house before going to the city to go out drinking.
The pair had met a friend, who also knew Fenwick.
The two girls eventually went home with Fenwick and another man on the light rail, with others also in the house.
During the evidence, it emerged Mr Fanti blamed Fenwick for his being charged, calling him a liar and telling him to “be a man” across the courtroom.
Mr Fanti said Fenwick had left owing him rent and had been delaying payment with excuses about not being paid yet.
He said the first he knew of the allegation was when Fenwick told him police wanted to talk to him about the girl he slept with.
Mr Fanti said he had no idea what Fenwick was talking about, later telling the court Fenwick was “pretending to have something” because he could not pay the rent.
Fenwick will be sentenced later this year, but will be allowed to remain on bail.