A former Catholic priest has been charged with 25 historic child-sex offences after being arrested at his Armidale home on Thursday, October 18. He appeared in Armidale local court and was refused bail to reappear on November 7.
State Crime Command’s Sex Crimes Squad formed Strike Force Glenroe in July 2012 to investigate allegations of child sexual abuse by a former priest based in Armidale.
About 6.30am on Thursday, October 18, officers attached to Strike Force Glenroe and New England Local Area Command arrested a 59-year-old man at Armidale.
He was taken to Armidale Police Station, where he was subsequently charged with 25 child-sex offences against three female children in the 1970s and 1980s.
The charges laid by police are consistent with the laws
at the time of the alleged offences being committed, specifically:
Three counts of indecent assault against female, and two counts of sexual assault category 3 — sexual intercourse without consent. Police will allege these offences were committed between 1979 and 1984 against a girl aged 11 to 15.
Act of Indecency with girl under 16 years; four counts of indecent assault of female; five counts of sexual assault (category 3) – sexual intercourse without consent; four counts of sexual assault (category 4) – indecent assault; and two counts of sexual assault (category 4) — act of indecency. It will be alleged these offences took place between 1975 and 1988 against a girl aged 5 to 18.
Two counts of sexual assault (category 4) – indecent assault; one count of sexual assault (category 4) – act of indecency with party under 16 years; and one count of sexual assault (category 3) — sexual intercourse without consent; party under 16 years of age. Police will allege these offences were committed between 1984 and 1986 against a girl aged 10 to 11.
Armidale Local Court also handed down an interim order suppressing information that would tend to identify the three alleged victims; this also includes the identity of the man charged with the offences.
