A former Victorian priest who worked in Geelong during much of his career has pleaded guilty to a string of child sexual assault charges. 73-year-old Robert Claffey was due to stand trial in the County Court on 21 charges, but two were dropped as part of a plea deal. Claffey abused boys and girls over three decades in areas including Apollo Bay and Skenes Creek, under the watch of disgraced former bishop Ronald Mulkearns. Two of his victims were assaulted after Claffey went to their home to "comfort" them after their sister died in a car accident. The boys were part of a devout catholic family that was friends with then-Father George Pell, who is now the fourth-highest ranking priest in the Vatican. Mulkearns, who died earlier this year, told the Royal Commission into child sexual abuse that he had failed as a Bishop and was sorry he didn't do things differently. But while admitting he did not understand the impact of child abuse at the time, he refused to accept responsibility for what happened in his diocese. Claffey was living at East Geelong when he first faced court on child sex charges in 1998. He spent nine years on Geelong City Council's disability access committee before leaving without explanation. He remains on bail ahead of a plea hearing for his latest charges next month.