Nationals MP Michael Johnsen, who outed himself as the politician accused of raping a sex worker, was caught ‘liking’ very graphic Facebook pages about oral sex before that alleged incident
An MP who outed himself as the politician accused of raping a sex worker was caught ‘liking’ very graphic Facebook pages about oral sex months before that alleged incident.
Michael Johnsen, a New South Wales Nationals member, released a statement late on Wednesday night after state Labor MP Trish Doyle used parliamentary privilege to allege an unnamed politician had forced a woman into penetrative sex at a secluded Blue Mountains lookout, west of Sydney.
‘I am devastated by these allegations,’ he said.
‘I have voluntarily spoken with NSW Police and I have and will continue to fully cooperate with their enquiries.
‘I am confident any investigation will conclude that I am an innocent party.’
Ms Doyle claimed a male MP had met the sex worker in her Blue Mountains electorate after meeting her through the adult website Locanto and paying her $200 for oral sex in September 2019.
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He released a statement late on Wednesday night after Labor MP Trish Doyle (pictured) used parliamentary privilege to allege an unnamed politician had forced a woman into penetrative sex at a secluded Blue Mountains lookout, west of Sydney
Six months before that alleged incident, Mr Johnsen admitted to liking a series of sexist and very graphically suggestive Facebook pages, including ones about oral sex, as he faced a tough re-election campaign in his marginal rural seat of Upper Hunter, north-west of Newcastle.
His ‘Michael Johnsen MP’ Facebook page had liked a series of memes including one from the Kinky Humour site which include graphic descriptions of a certain kind of mutual oral sex known as a 69.
The meme suggested a man who not enjoy the experience if the woman was having a good time.
’69 is garbage because a woman can’t focus,’ it said.
Another meme, from the Uncensored Adults Facebook page, which he also ‘liked’, featured the Cookie Monster from children’s program Sesame Street doing a sex act with a woman by looking up at her legs.
‘Cookies ain’t got s*** on this,’ it said.
Then there was a meme suggesting a woman’s role was to be available for sex and domestic duties.
‘A real woman is a freak in bed. A chef in the kitchen,’ it said.
His ‘Michael Johnsen MP’ Facebook page had liked a series of memes including one from the Kinky Humour site which include graphic descriptions of a certain kind of mutual oral sex known as a 69
Ms Doyle claimed a male MP had met the sex worker in her Blue Mountains electorate after meeting her through the adult website Locanto and paying her $200 for oral sex in September 2019.
A meme from the Kinky Humour Facebook page asked followers: ‘What makes a woman instantly unattractive?’
An Uncensored Adults social media page contained the meme: ‘Touch my butt and make me pizza’ over an image of a denim-wearing woman’s bottom.
At the time Mr Johnsen said ‘liking’ social media pages did not imply endorsing them, before he ‘unliked’ the Facebook pages.
‘Liking or following a page does not mean I endorse its content,’ he told Daily Mail Australia in March 2019 ahead of the state election.
‘I did not click on or “like” any of those memes sent in your email, but given those examples you provided however, and which I did not see they had posted, I have disliked those pages.
‘Thank you for bringing it to my attention.’
Six months before that alleged incident, Mr Johnsen admitted to liking a series of sexist and very graphically suggestive Facebook pages as he faced a tough re-election campaign in his marginal rural seat of Upper Hunter, north-west of Newcastle
His Facebook page had also liked a meme on the Kinky Humour Facebook page, which asked followers: ‘What makes a woman instantly unattractive?’
His ‘Michael Johnsen MP’ Facebook page was separate to his official political social media account.
Mr Johnsen, who was re-elected for a second term in March 2019, on Wednesday night announced he would stay out of meetings of both the National Party and the joint Coalition party room.
‘Without admission, I have chosen to step aside from my Parliamentary Secretary role, and will not sit in the Nationals Party Room nor the Joint Party Room,’ he said.
‘I will be taking leave effective immediately for a short duration.
‘As the matter is with the NSW Police I will make no further public comment.’
Ms Doyle, the Labor member for Blue Mountains, had used parliamentary privilege to make the explosive claims against a male MP in Premier Glady Berejiklian’s Coalition government about 5.30pm.
Another meme featured the Cookie Monster from children’s program Sesame Street doing a sex act with a woman
NSW Parliament cut the footage from its webcast of private member statements, despite it being made in open session that the public has a right to view.
Ms Doyle claimed the woman was ‘assaulted in my electorate… [by a] government member of this chamber’.
‘It was an assault, and it was against her explicit instructions. She did not consent. It was rape, she told her parliamentary colleagues.
‘This assault has had terrible consequences for the woman’s mental health and wellbeing.
‘This fear of hurt and anger is not something any woman should be made to feel, but it is all the worse that this man who raped her was a government member of this chamber.
‘His power and his privileged position as a civic leader make that fear, anger and hurt all the worse the abuse of power and privilege to harass, coerce and assault women in the home in the street in their workplace must stop perpetrators must be held accountable.’
The woman a year later reported the alleged rape to police, which confirmed on Wednesday night it was investigating her complaint.
Ms Doyle claimed the woman was initially reluctant to go to police as ‘she did not trust the processes available’ but decided to come forward 12 months later after getting advice from the Sex Workers Outreach Project.
The six-year parliament veteran claimed the woman had responded to an advertisement on a personals classifieds site seeking a specific sex service.
At the time Mr Johnsen said liking social media pages did not imply endorsing them. ‘Liking or following a page does not mean I endorse its content,’ he told Daily Mail Australia in March 2019 ahead of the state election
‘She had been clear with her client from the outset about what she was willing to do with him, and what she was unwilling to do,’ Ms Doyle said.
‘She tells me she made herself clear that she was not willing to have penetrative sex with him, however towards the end the man moved around behind her and assaulted her in a way she had not consented to.
‘In her emails to me she said that once the assault began she just wanted it to finish. It was an assault, and it was against her explicit instructions, she did not consent, it was rape.’
Ms Doyle said the woman is ‘hurt and angry this powerful man felt entitled to assault her’.
‘She remains fearful that this powerful man will seek reprisals against her for reporting this rape,’ she said.
Mr Johnsen’s 30-year marriage ended in 2015 after he was first elected to Parliament.
