Former Priest Faces Extra Child Sex Charges
By Stephen Jeffery
A former Catholic priest accused of committing historic child sex crimes has been charged with an additional 64 offences. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faced Armidale Local Court on Wednesday to face charges related to the alleged assault of three girls and six boys during the 1980s. He was subsequently charged with further offences related to the alleged assault of three more accusers. One of his alleged victims, an altar boy in the Moree parish, was allegedly assaulted on several occasions between 1982 and 1985. The man is also accused of assaulting two girls in Armidale in 1985. His accusers were aged between nine and 19 at the times of the alleged assaults. The fresh charges include 11 counts of sexual intercourse without consent, 52 counts of indecent assault and one count of committing an act of indecency. The new offences bring the total number of charges against the man to 126. An interim non-publication order suppressing the man's identity was issued for the fresh charges, with an earlier order continued for the remaining offences. The prosecution requested a non-publication order not be issued for the most recent charges, arguing that publishing the man's name could lead to more alleged victims coming forward. But Magistrate Karen Stafford said she would review the suitability of all suppression orders when the man next appears in court. The man's bail conditions were continued, preventing him from visiting the township of Armidale, school grounds or approaching children aged under 16. He will reappear in court on July 17. The new charges follow investigations by Strike Force Glenroe, which was established in July last year in response to allegations made against the man.
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