By Dan Proudman
The Herald
February 6, 2009
http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/catholic-priest-on-child-sex-charges/1426568.aspx
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| DAVID O'HEARN |
A CATHOLIC priest has been charged with allegedly sexually abusing a young boy while he worked as an assistant parish priest at Cessnock nearly 20 years ago.
Father David O'Hearn presented himself at Maitland police station yesterday morning before being charged by Strike Force Georgiana detectives with seven offences.
The 47-year-old will face five counts of sexually assaulting a child under 16 and two counts of indecently assaulting a child under 16.
He will appear in Newcastle Local Court on March 11.
O'Hearn is the fifth person charged by detectives from Strike Force Georgiana, set up in late 2007 to investigate alleged abuse of children across the Maitland-Newcastle diocese.
The allegations relate to the alleged abuse of a young boy while O'Hearn was the assistant parish priest at Cessnock in the early 1990s.
In a statement to staff released following the charges, Bishop Michael Malone said it was with a "deep sense of regret" that he had to inform them of the charges.
"The diocese will continue to co-operate fully with the police in this matter in the interests of a just outcome being achieved," Bishop Malone said in the statement.
O'Hearn was ordained in 1987 and was the assistant parish priest at Muswellbrook before moving to Cessnock in 1990.
He has held another six posts as parish priest before being stood down while at Nelson Bay in 2008.
Strike Force Georgiana detectives have now arrested and charged five people and laid 178 charges since it was formed in late 2007.
Investigations are continuing.
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