Asylum seeker pleads guilty to pool groping

An Afghan asylum seeker has pleaded guilty to indecently groping seven teenage girls at a Sydney swimming pool.

Mohammad Salem Nazari, 33, had originally blamed his poor swimming ability on what he claimed was accidental contact with the girls in a whirlpool ride at Sydney Olympic Park.

But yesterday at Burwood Local Court he changed his plea to guilty to two charges of indecent assault on two 18-year-old girls and five offences of indecently assaulting a person under the age of 16 at the pool, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Police alleged Nazari grabbed all of the girls around their waist, touching their thighs, bottoms and breast, within a 25-minute period on December 8.

The youngest victim was 14.

Nazari, who does not speak English and required an interpreter during all of his court appearances, had been in Australia for only six months on a bridging visa when he assaulted the girls.

The girls reported the groping to pool security, who watched his movements on CCTV footage until the police arrived.

Police claimed Nazari had been "nonchalant" when confronted about the accusations and insisted all of the contact with the girls had been accidental.

He will be sentenced on March 3. It is expected he will be deported on the completion of his sentence.