Correction Catholic Priest Charged with Historical Child Sex Offences - Lake Macquarie Lac

NSW Police Force
August 30, 2012

http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/latest_releases?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmViaXoucG9saWNlLm5zdy5nb3YuYXUlMkZtZWRpYSUyRjI1MjY4Lmh0bWwmYWxsPTE%3D

Detectives have arrested and charged a Catholic priest with child sex offences.

Strike Force Georgiana was established in March 2008, consisting of investigators from Lake Macquarie Local Area Command, to investigate allegations of child sexual abuse by various priests within the area.

About 9.15am today (Thursday 30 August 2012), a 74-year-old man attended Charlestown Police Station where he was arrested.

He was charged with the following offences whilst employed as the principal at a high school at Adamstown;

#One count of misprision of a felon to wit buggery, relating to allegedly failing to report the sexual abuse by another priest on a child at the school in 1978;

#One count of misprision of a felon to wit indecent assault on male, relating to allegedly failing to report the sexual abuse by another priest on a child at the school in 1978;

#Two counts of common assault relating to an alleged assault on two children at the school in 1978.

He was also charged with the following offences whilst employed at a church at Waratah;

#Five counts of sexual assault of a person under 16 years of age relating to an alleged incident involving a boy aged between eight and nine years of age at church in Waratah in 1984 and 1985.

#Three counts of assault and act of indecency of a person under 16 years of age relating to an alleged incident involving a boy aged between eight and nine years of age at church in Waratah in 1984 and 1985.

#Two counts of common assault relating to an alleged incident involving a boy aged between eight and nine years of age at church in Waratah in 1984 and 1985.

The man was granted strict conditional bail to appear in Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday 25 September 2012.

The charges laid by police are consistent with the laws at the time of the alleged offences being committed.