A Former Hamilton Marist Brother Will Be Sentenced in November for Making Child Abuse Material

By Joanne McCarthy
Newcastle Herald
July 5, 2017

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4773579/marist-guilty-of-producing-child-porn/

A FORMER Hamilton Marist Brother whose contact details appeared on the Marist Schools Australia website, despite him being a convicted child sex offender, has pleaded guilty to child pornography offences.

Brother Terry Gilsenan, 61, was charged with five counts of making child abuse material in March, 2016, nine months after a complaint from Hunter victims’ advocacy group, Clergy Abuse Network, and questions from the Newcastle Herald about his prominent position on the website.

He will be sentenced in November.

Gilsenan was jailed in 2001 for sexual intercourse with a 12-year-old boy in the 1980s, but was the Marist Schools Australia contact person for school resources including the “Champagnat Comic Book”, cards, posters and publications for an unknown period after his release.

He was identified on the website only as “Brother Terry”, and his email address, land line and mobile phone numbers were listed. He remained the contact person until the Hunter complaint.

He was a teacher at Hamilton in 1995-96.

Gilsenan pleaded guilty to five counts of making child abuse material at the Marist order’s Provincial House at Drummoyne. The material was made after his name and details were removed from the Marist website, and included images of a child with “explicit sexual connotations”.

The Crown did not proceed with seven further charges against him of aggravated indecent assault and aggravated sexual assault.

In a statement after Brother Gilsenan was charged Marist Brothers Australia described the offences as “unconscionable actions that undermine the very protection and safety of children”.