Jesamine Alice Wheeler, now aged 40, leaves the ACT Courts earlier in 2025. Photo: Albert McKnight.
CONTENT WARNING: This article refers to alleged child abuse.
A former basketball coach accused of sexually abusing an underage girl about 15 years ago has been committed to the ACT’s higher court to fight the allegations against her at trial.
The original court documents say that in the mid-2000s, Jesamine Alice Wheeler was aged about 20 and working as a basketball coach for Australian representative basketball when she began coaching the 11-year-old female complainant.
It is alleged she was about 23 to 24 when she sexually assaulted the then-15-year-old complainant on four occasions in the late 2000s.
She then allegedly physically assaulted the complainant twice in the mid-2010s when the complainant was in her early 20s.
The complainant approached police in 2020. Ms Wheeler was arrested in June 2024, charged and granted bail.
The now-40-year-old has entered pleas of not guilty to one count of maintaining a sexual relationship with a person under special care, four counts of sexual intercourse with a person under 16, two counts of assault and one count of possessing an offensive weapon and disabling substances with intent.
Contested committal proceedings took place in the ACT Magistrates Court last month, during which prosecutors said the alleged sexual abuse was “all kept secret from the public”.
They said the complainant had initially stayed in contact with Ms Wheeler, but stopped all contact with her in the years after the alleged assaults.
Magistrate Alexandra Burt returned to deliver her decision on the contested committal on Wednesday (6 August).
Ms Wheeler’s defence lawyers had argued the charges of assault should not be transferred to the ACT Supreme Court as they were not related to the earlier allegations.
But Magistrate Burt said she was satisfied they were related as they involved the same complainant and she would transfer them.
The magistrate said another issue arose relating to the charge of maintaining a sexual relationship with a person under special care, because some allegations were said to have occurred after the complainant turned 16.
Due to this, Ms Wheeler’s lawyers had argued there could be no offence for those allegations, as the complainant had reached the age of consent.
However, Magistrate Burt was satisfied it was open for prosecutors to lay that charge, even though she noted there were legal issues that still needed to be argued and determined properly.
She noted the not guilty pleas, continued Ms Wheeler’s bail, committed the matter to the Supreme Court and said the first mention of the case in the higher court would be on 20 August.
The complainant has consented to being identifiable in media reports.
If this story has raised any concerns for you, 1800RESPECT, the national 24-hour sexual assault, family and domestic violence counselling line, can be contacted on 1800 737 732. Help and support are also available through the Canberra Rape Crisis Centre on 02 6247 2525, the Domestic Violence Crisis Service ACT 02 6280 0900, the Sexual Violence Legal Services on 6257 4377 and Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call Triple Zero.
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