Australian politician Gareth Ward found guilty of rape

Ward, a sitting member of New South Wales parliament, assaulted two young men, a jury found.

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A jury found Gareth Ward - who is still a sitting member of state parliament - guilty of three counts of indecent assault and one count of rape.

Both of the victims, who were aged 18 and 24, said they were assaulted at Ward's home after meeting the 44-year-old through political circles between 2013 and 2015.

Ward resigned as a state government minister and from the Liberal Party when the accusations emerged in 2021, but refused to leave parliament and was re-elected as the member for Kiama in 2023.

The jury deliberated for three days after hearing nine weeks of evidence in the NSW District Court.