A former manager at a Hunter out-of-home care provider, who was also an aspiring academic and conference speaker, is now facing serious criminal charges as he prepares to apply for bail in the NSW Supreme Court.
Allegations Span Over a Year
Damian Ellis Spohr, 27, is accused of raping, choking, and assaulting three female colleagues over a period exceeding twelve months. Detectives allege that what began as consensual sexual encounters escalated into violent assaults at various locations across New South Wales.
Strike Force Investigation
Port Stephens-Hunter detectives formed Strike Force Chariot in March 2025 to investigate multiple alleged sexual assaults believed to be connected. The investigation led to Spohr's arrest at a Bolwarra Heights residence on December 23, 2025.
He was subsequently charged with nineteen offences, including six counts of sexual intercourse without consent, four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, four counts of choking, three counts of sexual touching, and two counts of aggravated sexual assault and inflict actual bodily harm.
Workplace and Community Standing
Spohr served as the manager of the permanency support program at We Care NSW, a Maitland-based provider of disability, mental health, and child and family services. His professional background included a decade specialising in child protection and mental health, with executive roles in major Hunter community service organisations.
Online records indicate he previously held the national head of foster care position at Lifestyle Solutions before joining We Care NSW. In 2024, he was listed as a speaker at a youth justice conference, where his biography described him as the "Current Chair of the NSW Permanency Reform Group for Children in Out-of-Home Care" and a member of the "Family is Culture steering committee for better outcomes for Aboriginal children and families."
Additional Child-Related Work Charge
Court documents reveal police have since charged Spohr with engaging in child-related work while subject to an interim bar from the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian. This offence is alleged to have occurred between February and August 2025 in Scone, after he left We Care NSW and established his own business, River Counselling and Community Services.
Spohr has pleaded not guilty to this charge, with the matter scheduled to return to court on February 26. A spokesperson for the Office of the Children's Guardian declined to comment on the specifics of the case, citing privacy requirements and ongoing legal proceedings.
Bail Application and Court Proceedings
Spohr has been in custody since his arrest, after being refused bail by a magistrate in the Bail Division Court on Christmas Eve. His matter was mentioned in the NSW Supreme Court on Friday, with a bail application set for March 25.
The three women reported the alleged assaults to police in March 2025, the same day they disclosed the incidents to their workplace. Spohr has not entered pleas to the sexual assault charges, and those matters are due back in court in March.
University Role Clarification
Police stated that Spohr had also begun working at a university in a social work academic role. However, when contacted, the university confirmed he had never been employed there.
A spokesperson for We Care NSW clarified Spohr's former position with the company but otherwise declined to comment. Spohr resigned from We Care NSW in January 2025 before starting his own counselling business.
Support services are available for those affected by sexual assault or violence. Resources include Lifeline (13 11 14), Men's Referral Service (1300 776 491), Kids Helpline (1800 551 800), beyondblue (1300 224 636), 1800-RESPECT (1800 737 732), and the National Elder Abuse helpline (1800 353 374).
