Ex-Catholic priest on trial for allegedly abusing young altar boys in regional NSW

By Paul Bibby
Sydney Morning Herald
February 2, 2016

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/excatholic-priest-on-trial-for-allegedly-abusing-young-altar-boys-in-regional-nsw-20160202-gmjqrb.html

A Catholic priest repeatedly sexually abused three young altar boys in regional NSW in the 1980s, including raping one child at the church's altar, a court has heard.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is being tried for 17 offences allegedly committed against the boys, aged 11 and 12, between 1980 and 1984.

The court heard the man, who is no longer a priest, has already pleaded guilty to 40 other child sex offences and is awaiting sentencing for those crimes.

In his opening to the ex-priest's trial in the Downing Centre District Court on Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Bryan Rowe outlined a series of alleged incidents in which the accused groped, molested, raped or forced oral sex on the boys.

He said one of the boys was the victim of 11 separate offences, including repeated indecent assaults during trips to a local swimming pool.

On one such trip in the first half of 1982 the then priest pinned the boy against the side of the pool with his belly and put his hands down the child's pants.

"Here comes the magpie," the priest allegedly told his victim while groping his penis.

When the boy protested, saying "I have to get out", the alleged perpetrator allegedly replied "You'll be right".

Some months later, during another excursion, the accused said he was taking the boy back to the presbytery for an ice-cream.

But when they got there, the accused allegedly took the boy into his bedroom, forced him face down onto the bed and anally raped him.

Mr Rowe said that on another occasion the priest bent one of his other young victims over the altar of the church and raped him.

A number of the other alleged indecent assaults against the victims took place in the priest's car and in church itself, including in a cellar under the altar or the sacristy.

He then set out some of the 40 other sex abuse incidents against six victims, which the accused has admitted to, telling the jury that these amounted to "tendency evidence" against him.

The ex-priest's barrister Matt Johnson asked the jury to keep an open mind about the 17 charges his client was on trial for  even though he was facing sentencing for other similar crimes.

"You wouldn't be human if you were not initially affected by what you have heard," Mr Johnson said.

"But at the start of this day when you took an oath you made a promise to this court to make a judgment based on the evidence before you.

"I ask you on behalf of my client and the justice system more generally that you not allow what you have heard to allow you to prejudge this matter."

The trial continues.