Northland chef found not guilty of raping Whangārei sex worker

Northland chef Bijil Sebastian has been cleared of sexually assaulting a sex worker after a trial in the Whangārei District Court his week. Photo / Northern Advocate

A Northland chef has been found not guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a sex worker after a trial in Whangārei.

Bijil Sebastian, 29, was today found not guilty of a rape charge and two counts of unlawful sexual connection in the Whangārei District Court.

The jury of seven men and five women returned its verdicts after 3pm today after going out to consider the case before lunch.

Sebastian was accused of raping a sex worker in Whangārei on May 29 last year. The complainant was working for the first time offering sexual services.

Sebastian had earlier paid $360 for two sex workers, one of whom remained in the room while he had sex with the complainant.

Sebastian's case is that he paid for sex and that nothing illegal took place. After a three-day trial in the court this week the jury found him not guilty on all charges.

In her DVD interview with police the complainant said there was about two minutes of consensual sex with Sebastian before he began performing acts she did not consent to.