Labor Party insider who killed himself hours before his child sex charges were made public ADMITTED he was courting a 16-year-old girl - but denied he was a paedophile
- Andres Puig, 44, was found dead in his East Melbourne home on Friday night
- The Labor lobbyist was charged with child sex and porn offences from 2019
- He was found hours before a newspaper planned to publish accusations
- The former assistant ALP state secretary was due to appear in court in April
- Puig's lawyer Stephen Andrianakis said his client planned to plead not guilty
- He admitted he started courting the teenager online in the lead up to his death
- Andrianakis claimed Puig met the girl when she was 17, but believed she was 18
A Labor Party powerbroker who killed himself after learning his child sex charges were about to be made public admitted he was involved with a 16-year-old girl.
Andres Puig, 44, was found dead in his Melbourne home on Friday night hours after finding out The Australian planned to publish he was charged with child sex offences.
The newspaper was set to reveal the influential lobbyist was charged with producing and possessing child pornography and other child sex offences.
The former assistant ALP state secretary was due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court on April 16.
Andres Puig, 44, was found dead in his East Melbourne home on Friday night hours after finding out The Australian planned to print that he was charged with child sex offences
The offences allegedly took place in 2019 and Puig was on bail at the time of his death.
In a bombshell development, Puig's lawyer Stephen Andrianakis claimed his client intended to plead not guilty, but admitted he courted the teenage girl online before his suicide, The Australian reported.
Mr Andrianakis claimed Puig's encounter with the girl was 'entirely consensual'.
He said that despite wooing the girl when she was just 16 - and subsequently meeting with her when she was 17 - Puig believed she was 18.
Mr Andrianakis also claimed the girl's dating profile said she was 18.
The teenager's side of the story hasn't been released.
In a bombshell development, Puig's lawyer claimed said his client planned to plead not guilty, but admitted he had started courting the teenage girl online in the lead up to his suicide
'There were also photos taken consensually. My instructions are that none of (these) were shared with any third party by Mr Puig,' Mr Andrianakis said in a statement.
'Mr Puig voluntarily provided to the investigators the password to his phone and gave computers to the investigators.
'The allegations were denied and the charges were to be vigorously denied.'
Footscray police charged the 44-year-old over offences allegedly committed last year.
The Australian reported that he was released on bail following heightened investigations in October.
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Victorian Police confirmed Mr Puig's death in a media release.
'Police will prepare a report for the coroner following the death of a man in East Melbourne on Friday night,' the release said.
'The man was located deceased in his Powlett Street home shortly before 6.30pm. The death is not being treated as suspicious.'
The former Victorian ALP assistant state secretary rose through political ranks before building the Civic Group consultancy firm before leaving the lobbying company in October 2019.
An anonymous source said 'there’s no coincidence he disappeared from public life at this time'.
'It’s the same time the investigation ramped up.'
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Puig's lawyer said that despite the wooing the girl when she was just 16 - and subsequently meeting with her when she was 17 - Puig believed she was 18
