The young man said his drink was later spiked at a party and he woke up at the defendant's house. But he denied 11 other charges: six counts of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, three counts of blackmail and two counts of aggravated wounding by stupefaction. In his opening statement to jurors, Crown prosecutor Jacob Barry said the defendant held power over the two young men due to his social media influencer status and the parties he attended with New Zealand's social elite. "The thing about social media is it often only projects what the person wants you to see," Barry said. A month later, prosecutors allege, the defendant targeted another teen who had rebuffed his advances after a night of drinking.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 10, 2021 01:18 UTC