An Indian-origin cook working at an Adelaide function venue has been jailed after sexually abusing a young boy and assaulting another child during an event, the District Court of South Australia has heard.
Ajay Kumar Marria, 64, pleaded guilty to aggravated indecent assault and aggravated assault over incidents that occurred on 6 September 2025 at the Omni Bar & Function Centre in Hindmarsh, where he was working as a cook.
In sentencing remarks delivered on 26 February 2026, the court heard that two young boys had arrived at the venue with their fathers and were playing inside when Marria approached one of them after he was left briefly alone.
Judge Emily Telfer said Marria walked up behind the child, touched his chest and led him away from public areas to an upstairs office space where there was no CCTV coverage. There, he touched the boy underneath his clothes.
The assault ended when the child’s father began searching the building and calling out for his son. The boy ran to his father and reported what had happened.
During police investigations, CCTV footage from the function centre revealed an earlier incident the same day in which Marria had dragged another boy and forced him to sit on his lap, forming the basis of the aggravated assault charge.
Court emphasises seriousness of offences against children
In victim impact statements presented to the court, one father said the incident had deeply affected his son, who now struggles in social situations and feels uncomfortable around unfamiliar people. Another child involved now finds it difficult to sleep alone at night.
Judge Telfer told Marria that he had taken advantage of a vulnerable child who had been separated from adults.
“You isolated the child from adults in an upstairs room and indecently assaulted him,” she said, noting that such crimes can have lasting consequences for victims and their families.
The court also noted that Marria’s counsel had been unable to provide any explanation for his behaviour.
Prison sentence imposed
The judge imposed a head sentence of one year, 10 months and 13 days’ imprisonment, with a non-parole period of one year and 28 days. Marria will be eligible to apply for parole in March 2027.
During sentencing, the court was told Marria had travelled to Australia from India in 2023 on a visitor visa to stay with his son after the death of his wife and had been working at the Omni Bar & Function Centre.
Judge Telfer noted she could not consider immigration consequences when determining the sentence but observed it was “highly unlikely” Marria would be permitted to return to Australia once his sentence is completed.
