Actor guilty of abuse while filming screen tests

Actor Jeremy Kewley has pleaded guilty to 19 indecency charges against minors in the Victorian County Court today.

Kewley, 55, who has appeared on Janus, Stingers, Underbelly, Fat Tony & Co., pleaded guilty to two counts of indecent assault and 14 of committing an indecent act against a child. The acts took place from 1989 to 2011.

In pre-sentencing the court heard he auditioned boys for screen tests at his Brighton home, photographing victims in tight lycra, while wrestling them or acting with them.

The court heard he also left a video camera running in the room where his first two victims got changed into and out of costumes. He met his first victim on the set of Young Talent Time asking a child to audition for an advertisement. Other assaults took place in 1991, 2002 and 2003.

One victim said Kewley destroyed his chances of having a productive life and a career in the entertainment industry.

“After it happened I hated myself, I wanted to crawl into a hole and die,” the victim said in a statement read out to court.

“This man robbed me of my life.”

One told the court he had been unable to tell his mother what had happened to him as he was concerned about the heartache and guilt it would cause her.

Another told the court he had trouble trusting men.

Kewley also pleaded guilty to two charges of producing child pornography and a single count of possessing child pornography.

The court heard Kewley, who has also worked in audience warm-ups for shows including The Footy Show, The Marngrook Footy Show, AFI Awards and as a 3AW contributor, was “deeply ashamed” of his crimes and wished to apologise to his victims.

He has been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing in 6 weeks time.

Source: Fairfax, Nine News, News Corp, ABC