Former Catholic Church Employee Charged over Sex Offences

By Emily Baker
Canberra Times
March 16, 2018

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/former-catholic-church-employee-charged-over-sex-offences-20180316-h0xkyq.html

A 79-year-old man has been charged with child sex offences linked to incidents alleged to have happened while he was an employee of the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn almost three decades ago.

NSW Police will allege the man was performing an administrative role within the archdiocese when he met the 15-year-old alleged victim.

The offences are alleged to have occurred in 1989 during a work-related trip to Batemans Bay and Huskisson.

Police investigated the alleged incidents after receiving a referral from the archdiocese's Institute for Professional Standards and Safeguarding last year.

The man was arrested in Brisbane on Tuesday and charged with five counts of gross indecency by male with male under 18 years.

In a statement, the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn said: "The charges are of a very serious nature and the matter is with NSW Police.

"These allegations will now be considered by a court. It would be inappropriate for the Archdiocese to make further comment until the judicial process has been concluded."

The man will appear before the Queanbeyan Local Court on April 23.