Prominent Mount Gambier cafe owner fronts court for alleged child sexual offences

A prominent Mount Gambier business owner has appeared in court for the first time on charges of child sexual offences.

Donald “Don” Pratt, 51, who owns the popular Confession cafe in the South Australian city’s main street, faced court charged with possessing child exploitation material and procuring a child for sexual activity.

Mr Pratt was initially bailed on the condition that he not contact children under the age of 18.

He applied for a bail variation in order to continue to run his business.

Mr Pratt’s lawyer, Herman Bersee, told the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court that his client had to contact employees under 18 to share and discuss rosters.

Mr Bersee said that Mr Pratt also received online coffee orders as part of his business, but could not know if the buyer was a child.

Magistrate Koula Kossiavelos granted the variation.

Recuse not needed

Magistrate Kossiavelos noted to the court that she regularly went to Mr Pratt’s cafe on Commercial Street West, but it would not be practical to recuse herself from the case since most other people in Mount Gambier would have been at one time. 

“For the record, I have many coffees at Confession. I am just letting you know that I am not biased, but I have had coffee at this gentleman’s establishment,” she said.

Mr Pratt’s case was adjourned for a charge determination hearing in February.

Police arrested a 46-year-old man for allegedly possessing child exploitation material in Mount Gambier on the same day as Mr Pratt, but the cases are not connected.

That man, from the Adelaide suburb of Albert Park, had his case moved to the District Court in Adelaide.