'I'll show no mercy': Charity founder faces 'tickle torture' allegations

Cody Schaeffer pleaded guilty in March to assaulting five teenagers at his home between 2021 and 2023. (Supplied: Instagram) Cody Schaeffer pleaded guilty in March to assaulting five teenagers he met through his youth mental health charity. One of his teenage victims says he feels like he has been "pushed into the shadows" after Schaeffer was spared jail time. The ABC has seen messages Schaeffer sent to another young person, who was not involved in the court case, offering him money to film for an Asian dating website. Link copiedShareShare articleA teenager who was hogtied and beaten by a decorated youth advocate says he feels let down by the justice system after his abuser avoided jail time over the "disgusting" assault. Fletcher Wicks* was one of five teenagers, aged 14 to 17, who Cody Schaeffer pleaded guilty to assaulting at his south-east Queensland home between 2021 and 2023. The ABC has spoken with other men since the March sentencing who claim the former Order of Australia recipient also asked to tie them up and tickle them for payment, with allegations dating back to more than a decade ago. Fletcher Wicks was one of five teenagers who Schaeffer pleaded guilty to assaulting between 2021 and 2023. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi) Fletcher was 15, and Schaeffer was in his late 20s, when they met at a camp advocating for youth mental health. The week-long camps were organised by Borderline Australia, a charity founded by Schaeffer. They featured Australian influencers and celebrities, as well as activities such as kayaking and archery, a formal night, and team-building exercises. Schaeffer was well-connected and "easy to talk to", presenting himself as someone you could trust and be yourself around, Fletcher says. He quickly became Fletcher's "best friend and mentor" and was close with his entire family, often joining them for dinners at his childhood home. "[A group of us teenagers] we were over Cody's house every weekend," he said. "He'd come pick us up, and we'd all chill at his house, watch documentaries and movies and eat lots of KFC." Fletcher was 15 years old when he met Schaeffer, who was then in his late 20s. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi) One day, Schaeffer asked Fletcher, then 16, if he could tie him up and whip his feet with a coat hanger for $100. In an interview with the ABC, Fletcher said Schaeffer told him to keep it a secret. "As a young, eager kid, $100 was a lot at the time," Fletcher said. "He was like 'just with the bros, it's a bro kind of thing' … I thought if it's just with the bros, how bad could it be?" But when he cried out for Schaeffer to stop, he continued. "I moved the gag out of my mouth because it wasn't too tight, and I started yelling 'stop, stop, stop' and he was like 'you're almost there', and he kept going," Fletcher says. Schaeffer admitted to paying five children to hogtie them and whip their feet with coat hangers during his sentencing at the Brisbane Magistrates Court. The court heard that Schaeffer ignored the boys when they told him to stop and placed duct tape over some victims' eyes and mouths, which they did not consent to. Magistrate Zachary Sarra described the offending as "insidious" and "disturbing". Schaeffer's offending was described as "insidious" and "disturbing." (Supplied: Instagram) During defence submissions, Magistrate Sarra said Schaeffer's actions of binding and gagging children could have caused problems with their breathing or sent them into shock. Schaeffer was sentenced to nine months' jail, wholly suspended for 18 months, over six charges of common assault. After sentencing, the Governor-General accepted Schaeffer's resignation as a member of the Order of Australia, an honour awarded to him for his youth advocacy work. Fletcher says that after the assault, Schaeffer downplayed what occurred. "At the time, I felt pretty embarrassed and pretty sick in my own skin … there was no remorse," he told the ABC. "He just acted like everything was normal. He just blew it off and didn't show much empathy." The week-long camps often featured Australian influencers and celebrities. (Supplied) Fletcher says Schaeffer continued messaging him after the assault, offering more money to do it again. Fletcher believes a heftier penalty should have been handed down. "'I feel like I've been punched in the face or pushed into the shadows," Fletcher says. "It's brought back that trauma of it." Fletcher told the ABC Schaeffer asked him if he could tie him up and whip his feet with a coat hanger for $100. (ABC News: Mark Leonardi) Jason Kurt* also met Schaeffer through the Borderline camps. But he says that after the event was over, Schaeffer kept messaging him. "He would Snapchat me all the time, and he was 29 or 30," Jason said. When he was 16, Jason alleges Schaeffer asked if he would like to be tied up and tickled on camera, claiming it's a "good laugh and great money." "It's for an Asian dating site (not accessible in Australia) ha

'I'll show no mercy': Charity founder faces 'tickle torture' allegations

Key takeaways

Also covered by

'I'll show no mercy': Charity founder faces 'tickle torture' allegations

Key takeaways

Also covered by

More in international