Risotto king 'exploited underage girls'

A Melbourne chef, once known as the risotto king, sexually exploited vulnerable underage girls using his age, power and money, a court has heard.

Victorian County Court Judge Felicity Hampel said the power imbalance between Simon Humble, 50, and his two victims, aged 13 and 14, was an aggravating feature of his crimes.

Judge Hampel made the comments during a pre-sentence hearing for Humble, who paid the victims for sexual acts between January 2008 and August 2010.

She said the victims were particularly vulnerable, including one who was in state care, and for this reason the offending was even more serious.

Humble had also tried to procure other vulnerable teens for sex through his victims, she said.

Her comments were in response to defence lawyer Sean Cash, who had argued there was a lack of aggravating factors in Humble's crimes because there was no evidence of violence, pain, humiliation or embarrassment.

He also said there was no grooming or unprotected sex involved.

Mr Cash told the hearing Humble worked at a number of well-known Melbourne restaurants including Il Bacaro, Caffe e Cucina and Scusa Mi before opening Southbank's Tutto Bene in 2004.

In their victim impact statements read to the court, the teenagers said they had almost no support from their family and friends following the incidents.

One victim said when she tried to talk to her boyfriend about what had happened he called her a slut.

The second victim said she felt completely lost, destroyed and stupid.

"I had no interest in living. My spirit was crushed," the victim said in her statement.

Mr Cash said his client maintained that at the time he believed the victims were aged 16 or over, but now accepted that was not the case.

Psychiatrist Danny Sullivan told the court that Humble suffered from hebephilia, not pedophilia, which means he is attracted to young adolescents.

He said Humble would find prison difficult because of publicity surrounding the case.

Humble's de facto partner told the court she supported him "200 per cent".

She said Humble had earned recognition for his culinary skills, including the moniker of the risotto king.

Prosecutor Francesca Holmes said Humble knew the victims were vulnerable because they needed money and she said his remorse was sparse, if non-existent.

Humble, of Rosanna, was found guilty of six charges of sexual penetration of a child under 16. He pleaded guilty to three counts of making child pornography and one charge of accessing child pornography.

He will be sentenced by Judge Hampel on February 20.