By Colin James
Adelaide Now
August 28, 2007
http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22318836-5006301,00.html
CHILD sex abuse charges against a former St Peter's College chaplain have been formally dropped in the District Court.
Prosecutors today withdraw eight counts laid against the Reverend John Mountford following his extradition from Thailand in February 2005.
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| CHILD sex abuse charges against former St Peter's College chaplain Reverend John Mountford, pictured outside the District Court today, have been dropped. |
Mountford, 52, was due to face trial next month but prosecutor Adam Kimber told Judge Peter Herriman no evidence would be tendered.
The decision to drop the high-profile case ended a five-year bid to prosecute Mountford over allegations he sexually abused a St Peter's College student over a two-year period in the early 1990s.
Mountford refused to comment to The Advertiser when approached shortly after the hearing, which lasted less than three minutes.
He would not confirm he planned to seek damages from the State Government over his arrest in Bangkok – and subsequent two years on home detention bail at the northern suburbs home of a male friend.
Mountford is expected to leave Adelaide later this week after his barrister, Joana Fuller, asked for the return of his passport.
It was surrendered two years ago after he was arrested by SA sex crime detectives, who tracked him to Bangkok.
Mountford spent several months in jail fighting his extradition before he was flown back to Adelaide in February, 2005.
He had left SA in June, 2002, less than 24 hours after he was confronted by former St Peter's College principal Richard Burchnall over a report he had sought sexual favours from a male student.
The circumstances of his departure were later examined by an independent inquiry into the Anglican Church's handling of child sex abuse allegations.
The inquiry heard former Adelaide archbishop Ian George visited Mountford at a southern suburbs house shortly before he flew out of Adelaide Airport.
His alleged victim did not attend today's hearing.
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