April 01, 2005

Catholic priest on sex charges

AUSTRALIA
Herald Sun

01apr05

A CATHOLIC priest facing 29 child sex charges dating back to the 1970s has been committed to stand trial in the Victorian County Court later this year.

Frank Gerard Klep, 61, pleaded not guilty to 28 counts of indecent assault and one of buggery.

Magistrate Rowan McIndoe today committed Father Klep to stand trial in the County Court on October 24.

The offences involve eight boys and were allegedly committed at Sunbury, 45km north-west of Melbourne between 1973 and 1979.

Father Klep, a member of the Salesian Order, was a teacher and later principal at the order's Rupertswood College in Sunbury, at the time of the alleged offences.

He left Melbourne in April 1998 to become the senior financial officer at a Salesian theological college in Samoa.

Posted by kshaw at April 1, 2005 05:55 AM