Bail for artist accused of rape
AUSTRALIAN street artist Anthony Lister will be freed on bail after being charged with drugging and raping teenage art students, with the court hearing at least two more alleged victims have come forward.
The Sydney father is already accused of sexually assaulting four women – aged between 18 and 19 – on separate occasions at his Darlinghurst home between 2015 and 2018.
The world famous 40-yearold “adventure painter” broke down in tears yesterday as he was granted $20,000 bail while appearing at Central Local Court via video link from Silverwater jail.
The court heard Lister had vowed to fly to the United States after discovering he was under investigation, but Magistrate Clare Farnan did not impose police reporting conditions, partly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In the current environment where people are being encouraged to reduce their social contact, I just can’t see what difference it’s going to make,” she said.
A detective told the court police expect to hit Lister with more charges after they gather statements from one NSWbased woman and another who lives outside the jurisdiction in the coming week.
“There’s two, possibly more,” Senior Constable Sean O’brien said.
Lister allegedly offered the students “internships” and tattooed the torso of one of his victims while she was heavily intoxicated.
“He lures these young women in – they’re budding artists – then he talks them into doing some kind of art activity,” police prosecutor Kerry-ann Mckinnon told the court. “These young, impressionable women are drugged and then acts of a sexual nature occur.”
The graffiti artist has vowed to fight all of the charges – which also include drug and gun possession.
The court heard less than two weeks before he was arrested on March 10, a friend reached out to him in a private Instagram message warning she’d been interviewed by police about a sexual assault allegation dating back to October 2017.
“After my art show in Wollongong I’m buying a ticket to LA stat,” he replied, Ms Mckinnon said.
Magistrate Farnan said if convicted Lister would face a lengthy prison sentence.