A 16-year-old who made an allegation of indecent assault against former Ready Steady Cook host Peter Everett has spoken publicly for the first time, and his father said the family reported the matter to police rather than confronting the former television presenter.
Police have charged Everett, 66, with sexually touching the boy without consent in an incident the court documents place at about 4:10 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, July 25 at Everett's home on the New South Wales Central Coast. Everett was arrested the following day and appeared in Parramatta Local Court, where he pleaded not guilty. A full local court hearing has been listed for June next year.
The teenager, who told the Daily Mail he has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism, said he had walked past Everett's house with his hood up on the afternoon of July 25 and did not want to be rude when they passed one another. He and his family live near the former TV host, the newspaper reported.
The boy told his father about the alleged incident about 15 minutes later, according to the father, who spoke to the Daily Mail and cannot be identified. The father said he had known Everett only in passing and that, rather than confronting him, he called police. After the teenager gave a statement, officers removed the boy's clothing and other items as evidence, the father said.
Everett has been granted bail with conditions that require him to report twice weekly to Waverley Police Station in Sydney's eastern suburbs, limit his access to his home to collecting belongings under police escort, and prohibit contact with the alleged victim or any witnesses. Everett told the Daily Mail he was pleading not guilty and that his solicitor had advised him not to speak further.
The charge against Everett—who hosted Channel 10's Ready Steady Cook from 2006 for five years—will be considered in court. He was sacked from the show in 2011, and in 2022 said he was selling possessions to get by after difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A spokesman for New South Wales Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Court matters at the local level are dealt with by a magistrate, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The case will return to court next year for a fuller hearing, where the prosecution will present evidence and the magistrate will determine whether the matter should proceed to a higher court. In the meantime, the bail conditions place restrictions on Everett's movements and communications related to the allegation.