A FORMER deacon affiliated with the Anglican Church appeared in court today charged with sex offences.
The 82-year-old, who cannot be identified, has yet to plead to seven counts of indecent assault allegedly committed between January 1980 and May 1983.
Police will allege the charges relate to the abuse of a male street kid - claims that arose during an inquiry into sexual abuse within the Anglican Church.
Magistrate Greg Clark remanded the man on continuing bail to appear in court again in October.
Follow-up:
First street-kids abuse case
NIGEL HUNT
August 20, 2006 12:14am
THE first man charged as a result of a major police investigation into a group of men – which includes a prominent Adelaide legal identity and well-known lawyer – who allegedly abused street kids, has appeared in court.
The man, in his eighties, is a former deacon in a religious order linked to the Anglican Church. He has been charged with sexually abusing a male street kid 26 years ago.
The clergyman, whose identity is suppressed, appeared in Adelaide Magistrates Court on Friday charged with seven counts of indecent assault.
The charges relate to the alleged sexual abuse of a male between January 1980 and May 1983.
Appearing before Auxiliary Magistrate Greg Clark, he was not required to enter a plea.
His lawyer, Tim Clarke, said he had only been provided with details of the allegations against his client "this morning" and requested an adjournment.
Mr Clark remanded him on continuing bail to October 17.
The clergyman was arrested by Pedophile Task Force detectives on June 10 – several weeks after his alleged victim detailed his alleged abuse to the Sunday Mail.
He has been the subject of serious allegations since 2002, when his alleged activities arose during an inquiry into sexual abuse within the Anglican Church. Former Anglican Archbishop Ian George withdrew the clergyman's general licence and requested he relinquish his orders as a deacon, which he did, after allegations about his conduct were made to the Anglican abuse inquiry.
Pedophile Task Force investigations into the clergyman intensified in April after the clergyman's alleged victim appeared before the Mullighan inquiry, repeating the details of his alleged abuse.
The witness, identified only as Bill, said the clergyman and two of his colleagues allegedly abused him and other street kids when they were placed in a city homeless shelter the clergymen were in charge of.
Bill told the Mullighan inquiry and the Sunday Mail the clergymen also allegedly took street kids from the shelter and introduced them to a group of Adelaide men.
Two of those men – the prominent Adelaide legal identity and the well-known lawyer – are still the subject of police investigations into their alleged activities with underage street kids.
Bill has detailed a five-year sexual relationship with the prominent legal identity. He says this man paid him for sex every week and that photographs were taken of them naked. Their liaison started when he was aged 16.
Detectives have seized a large quantity of photographs and other material from the legal identity's home and office, as well as interview notes and tapes from the offices of the Sunday Mail as part of that investigation.