The 53-year-old Inverell man facing a raft of historical child sexual abuse charges appeared via video link from a coastal correctional service at Inverell District Court on Thursday, June 28.
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The accused, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the seven alleged victims, listened stone-faced and silent as the prosecution went through a series of withdrawals to the initial 42 charges.
He is expected to plead “not guilty” when the remainder of 28 charges against him are taken to Armidale District Court on August 17 for arraignment so that official proceedings can begin. Charges against him pertain to indecent and aggravated assault and sexual intercourse with minors as young as seven years.
Stone-faced and silent, the accused appeared via video link.
The four different cases brought against the accused will proceed together as one at the request of the lawyers of the accused at a previous hearing on June 8. Their client, who has been held in custody since September 2017, wanted to find the “quickest pathway to get the matter to trial” as he had been concerned about the length of his time in incarceration.
Charges and victims
The first charges laid by three alleged victims in June 2017 concerned accusations of sexual molestation in 2002, 2003 and 2005 when they were under 10 years of age. Six of the initial 15 charges were withdrawn.
The second set of 13 charges concerned two new victims under 10 years. Five of these charges alleged to have been committed from 2003 have now been withdrawn.
Another victim came forth with accusations of 11 offences of aggravated indecent assault and sexual intercourse against children under 14 years. Three of the charges from this case have been withdrawn.
The final, fourth set of charges were laid in April 2018, and concern a new child that alleges molestation in 2008 and 2009.
Magistrate Roger Prowse was handed a 10cm-thick stack of briefs outlining details of the cases. Bail has not been applied for and the accused remains bail-refused. He seeks to prove his innocence when the case officially goes to trial.
