Convicted Paedophile Priest Paul David Ryan Pleads Guilty to Sexually Abusing Three Children

By Tessa Akerman
The Australian
March 19, 2019

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A convicted paedophile priest who confessed his abuse to another paedophile priest has pleaded guilty in the Victorian County Court to sexually abusing three children.

Paul David Ryan today pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault, one count of sexual penetration with a person aged between 16 and 18 years and one count of indecent act with a child under 16.

Ryan was committed to stand trial on nine charges but ultimately pleaded guilty to just three.

In a separate case, Ryan had pleaded guilty in 2006 to three charges of indecent assault against one victim.

The royal commission into child sexual abuse heard authorities would have known about Ryan’s “activities with adolescent boys” by 1981-1982.

Ryan said he made confessions to priests, including now deceased Ronald Pickering, also a paedophile, as a way to reconcile his actions with God.

“I know that was very seriously flawed. I mean I was seriously flawed in the way I assessed myself and fooled myself, rationalised I suppose is the word,” Ryan told the commission.