Former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann has moved interstate to become a full-time live-in nanny.
Lehrmann, 29, has reportedly found his ‘happy sanctuary’ living with a close family friend and watching their two children, outside of NSW.
The children, aged under 10, call Lehrmann ‘the Manny’ and ‘Uncle Bruce’.
It’s understood Lehrmann took the unpaid role in exchange for a space in the family’s home following two criminal court cases and a defamation defeat which left his reputation, and finances, in tatters.
Lehrmann, who relies on Centrelink benefits, was hired by the family 18 months ago.
A photo showed Lehrmann smiling directly at the camera while sitting next to one of the children at a cinema.
Lehrmann was dressed in a light, blue collared shirt with a cap and sunglasses resting on his head, while the child held a Village Cinemas popcorn bucket.
His lawyer Zali Burrows told the Daily Telegraph the job has been a haven for his client.
‘Bruce relishes the trusted role he has in the children’s lives and the family really adores him,’ she said.
‘It’s been a safe, happy sanctuary, away from the mental and financial turmoil.’
In August 2021, Lehrmann was identified as the Liberal Party staffer accused of raping Brittany Higgins inside Parliament House in 2019.
Ms Higgins had shared her alleged sexual assault with Channel 10 journalist Lisa Wilkinson in an interview aired on The Project.
Lehrmann has always denied the allegations.
Lehrmann faced the ACT Supreme Court in late 2022 but the case was dropped after a juror brought outside research into the deliberation room.
A second trial was also aborted, citing concerns for Ms Higgins’ mental health.
In 2023, Lehrmann launched legal proceedings against Wilkinson and Channel 10, claiming he’d been defamed by The Project episode.
The ruling of the lawsuit left Lehrmann in ruin with Justice Michael Lee finding, on the balance of probabilities, he raped Ms Higgins.
He has appealed the ruling with the case to go before the Federal Court of in August.
Lehrmann is also fighting allegations he raped a woman in Queensland in 2021.
The woman alleged Lehrmann assaulted her twice on the morning of October 10, 2021, after they met in a strip club the previous night in Toowoomba, 150km west of Brisbane.
She claimed she and Lehrmann ingested cocaine during the night out and had consensual sex at a house in east Toowoomba about 4am.
The woman alleged she was woken about 10am by Lehrmann sexually assaulting her.
Lehrmann’s former defence barrister Andrew Hoare said at a prior committal hearing the alleged victim was too intoxicated to remember giving consent and Lehrmann could have mistakenly believed he had consent for further sex acts.
The case is set to return to court on June 20.