Fourth Man Arrested in Child-sex Case

Sky News
December 19, 2013

http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=935496&vId=4274836&cId=Top%20Stories

A former Catholic Brother has become the fourth person charged in relation to historical sexual offences against two children at a western Sydney school.

Strike Force Avia was established in October 2011 to investigate alleged assaults upon a number of children on school grounds at a Catholic college at Blacktown and a Catholic primary school at Lalor Park in the 1980s.

Three men - two teachers and a former Catholic Brother - have previously been arrested and charged by Strike Force Avia detectives.

Sex Crimes Squad detectives arrested a fourth man, a former Catholic Brother, at Penrith Railway Station about 11.30am (AEDT) on Wednesday and took him to Penrith Police Station.

The 58-year-old Lithgow man was charged with 20 offences in total, including two counts of buggery, 13 counts of indecent assault on a male and five counts of indecent act with a male, relating to offences against two boys aged between nine and 11.

The incidents are alleged to have occurred between January 1980 and May 1981 when the former Brother worked at the Catholic college in Blacktown.

He was refused bail to appear at Penrith Local Court on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the investigation is ongoing and Strike Force Avia detectives continue to appeal for anyone with information to assist them to come forward.

In particular, they believe a person residing in Tasmania could have information integral to their ongoing inquiries and are urging them to contact police.