Australian Artist Lister Charged with Multiple Counts of Sexual Assault

Anthony Lister, one of Australia’s best-known street artists, was arrested at his Sydney home yesterday and charged with a number of offences, including allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women and tattooing one of them without her consent.

The alleged assaults took place at a home in Darlinghurst on separate occasions between 2015 and 2018, according to Fairfax, and three of the four women involved were art students.

NSW Police issued a statement this morning revealing that they executed two search warrants yesterday morning—one at an industrial space in Marrickville, the other at the Darlinghurst property—and seized four replica pistols, knuckle dusters, electronic equipment, and a variety of prohibited drugs including methylamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, and cannabis.

Lister, 40, was taken to Surry Hills Police Station and has since been charged with a number of offences—including five counts of sexual intercourse without consent, using an intoxicating substance to commit an indictable offence, and possessing a firearm, prohibited drugs and a prohibited weapon. Police will allege he also tattooed three lines on a woman without her consent.

He was refused bail, and will appear at Central Local Court later today.

Lister has previously been dubbed one of Australia’s most collectible artists, as well one of the world’s most influential street artists of all time, with work featured in the National Gallery of Australia and Art Bank Australia. His artworks have been known to sell for up to $17,500.

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