AUSTRALIA
Newcastle Herald
Joanne McCarthy
12 Jan 2017
FORMER Newcastle Anglican priest George Parker has died only three weeks after he was charged with 24 child sex offences against two young boys in the 1970s.
Father Parker, 79, was first charged with child sex offences in 2000. But in a controversial Newcastle District Court case in 2001, four charges relating to the sexual assault of the young boys were no-billed after an Anglican church register was produced during the trial.
No-billed matters are withdrawn from court but can be resumed at a later date if there is further evidence.
Newcastle Police Strike Force Arinya-2 Detective Acting Inspector Jeff Little reinstated the no-billed offences and charged the priest with 20 fresh offences, including five counts of buggery, after travelling to Ballarat on December 23.
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