Tyler Kidd from Melbourne has denied raping and sexually assaulting a man following a public altercation.
Tyler Kidd now 36, pleaded not guilty at today’s comital hearing in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 10 August 2022 to rape, sexual assault and false imprisonment.
It’s alleged Ty Kidd, who worked at Carls Jr. burgers, raped a man in Port Melbourne on 29 December 2020.
Ty Kidd who is also charged with multiple counts of assault, allegedly sexually assaulted and detained the man against his will.
Witnesses told the court they saw Kidd in a “verbal and physical altercation” with the complainant on the night of the alleged rape.
“The tone of the argument caught my attention more than anything, and when I saw the two men, he (Kidd) grabbed the other man pretty aggressively,” a witness told the court.
“I heard him (Kidd) trying to convince the other man not to leave.”
Another witness at today’s committal hearing gave a near identical account of the incident outside Kidd’s residence.
Kidd was slated to appear at a committal earlier this year but the matter was adjourned after he was slapped with fresh charges. The charges arose after Ty Kidd allegedly contacted the complainant.
The prosecution summarised the new allegations, during an earlier court hearing, and paraphrased a statement made by the complainant on June 3.
“(Kidd) was seeking to have me not attend court,” the complainant said in his statement.
“If I didn’t show up to court it will all go away … I think it was (Kidd’s) intention to get me to withdraw my statement.”
The prosecution submitted it would “likely” use the complainant’s statement if the matter progressed to trial.
“(The prosecution would submit the new allegation) is intimidating conduct in the sense that (Kidd’s) trying to prevent the witness from going ahead at trial,” the prosecutor submitted.
“He’s putting some pressure on him, intimidating him and ultimately we would be going to the jury that (alleged conduct) gives rise to an implied admission of guilt.”
Magistrate Roslyn Porter, who presided over both hearings, ordered Kidd to stand trial at the County Court.
Ty Kidd, who claimed he lost his Carl’s Jr. Docklands manager job following media reporting, was bailed to front court at a later date.
Ty Kidd is well known in Melbourne’s gay scene for his love of all things Kylie Minogue and often frequents well established gay nightclubs and bars on his hunt for gay sexual partners for casual encounters. These charges come as no surprise to many of Melbourne’s gay glitterati.
CASE UPDATE: Tyler KIDD was later found not guilty at trial before Judge Lyon in the County Court of Victoria on 5 October 2023.
