July 07, 2005

Ridsdale charged

AUSTRALIA
The Wimmera Mail-Times

Eugene Duffy
Thursday, 7 July 2005

BALLARAT police have charged former Wimmera priest Gerald Ridsdale with a further 63 charges of sexual abuse.

Gerald Francis Ridsdale, 71, is serving 18 years' jail for 46 sex offences against 21 children aged between nine and 15 and is due for parole in October 2009.

A mention hearing for the new charges will be on July 27 in Ballarat.

Ballarat Criminal Investigation Unit detective Kevin Carson said the charges related to alleged incidents that occurred in the 1970s and 1980s and involved nine victims.

Det Carson said the victims came from a range of different areas where Ridsdale was located.

Posted by kshaw at July 7, 2005 07:20 AM