Farmer banned from Kiama pools after sexually touching seven swimmers

Jamberoo resident John Robert Booth applied to be dealt with under mental health law at Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday, after pleading guilty to eight counts of sexually touching another person without consent.

Defence barrister Robert Steward said Booth's conduct was connected to his diagnoses from a psychiatrist of paraphilia and frotteurism.

A paraphilia is an experience of recurring or intense sexual arousal to atypical objects or situations, while frotteurism is the act of touching or rubbing genitals up against another without their consent.

However, Magistrate Michael Ong refused the application, saying it was Booth's responsibility to address his conditions to protect others.

"The conduct I have read about is extremely disturbing and distressing," the magistrate said.

"Keep your hands to yourself."

Tendered court documents state Booth lurked at Kiama Leisure Centre and Kiama rock pool, touching seven victims between 2022 and 2023.

The farmer first prayed on a woman with a disability and her carer by striking up a conversation with them in the water, first touching the carer on the thigh and breast, causing her to freeze.

He offended against the carer on two more occasions, and also touched the other woman on the leg. The pair reported the incidents to staff and police were contacted.

A detective attended Booth's home and reminded him to keep his hands and feet to himself, however, Booth moved onto a different pool, where he touched three more victims.

Booth would swim near the women and strike up a conversation before touching them on their thighs, hips or buttocks.

He once preyed on two women who were snorkelling at the pool, touching one of them on the buttocks after she dove into the water to look at an octopus.

Booth approached two German tourists on another occasion in April and invited them back to his farm to swim at a watering hole.

"Australia is not dangerous for your girls, the only thing dangerous is old men," he told one of them, after touching their buttocks and hip while in the water.

An off-duty police officer who was at the pool asked the tourists if Booth had said anything inappropriate to them, to which they disclosed they had been touched.

Mr Steward argued the community's best interest would be best supported by Booth receiving treatment.

The magistrate imposed a three-year community corrections order, with conditions Booth be of good behaviour, obey any treatment or medications ordered by doctors, and to keep appointments with psychiatrists.

Booth is also banned from attending the Kiama Leisure Centre and Kiama rock pool for three years.