Former Tamworth Festival Manager Sentenced for Sexual Offense

Joel Ulbricht, the ex-manager of the Tamworth Country Music Festival, has been sentenced to 250 hours of community service following a guilty plea for sexual touching without consent. The 45-year-old was convicted in Gosford Local Court after an incident that occurred on the New South Wales Central Coast in January.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Ulbricht and the victim had spent the night drinking at a friend's home. After the victim fell ill and went to sleep in a spare bedroom, Ulbricht entered the room and sexually assaulted the victim. His lawyer, Maddison Battese, stated that her client had no memory of the incident, which initially led him to plead not guilty.

Ulbricht, who had only held the festival manager position for a short time before resigning in July, is now subject to a community corrections order for two years, during which he must abstain from alcohol. The Tamworth Regional Council expressed that they were unaware of the charges at the time of his hiring and indicated that Ulbricht had failed to meet essential criteria for employment.

Source: www.abc.net.au