An 81 year old retired Wollongong priest, Fr Kelvin Gerald Sharkey, has been charged with a series of sex offences dating back to the 1960's.
Fr Sharkey, who now lives in Victoria, has been charged with 10 counts of indecent assault and two counts of buggery of an altar boy at St John Vianney's, Fairy Meadow, which runs a primary school, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Police allege the offences occurred from 1969 to 1976, starting when the victim was 10 years old.
Wollongong Bishop Peter Ingham, said the priest had been retired from active ministry since 1988.
"I wish to assure the community that the diocese of Wollongong is committed to the protection of children and young people," he said.
"The diocese will cooperate fully with police and other relevant authorities in bringing this matter to a just resolution."
A former student of St John Vianney's school said she remembered Sharkey at the school in 1968 as a "dark figure".
"He was a bit of a fire and brimstone priest, he would yell from the pulpit," said the woman who wished to remain anonymous.
The victim, now in his late 40's, complained about the assault to a victims support group, who alerted police.
NSW police travelled to Melbourne to interview Sharkey and charged him on August 6.
Sharkey was living in two bedroom apartment owned by diocese of Wollongong in the Melbourne bayside suburb of Mordialloc for 10 years until it was sold in March. A spokeswoman for the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference told the Herald he is no longer living on church premises.
The Illawarra Mercury says the apartment had been owned by the Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the diocese of Wollongong since 2000.
The pink brick apartment was sold in May for $351,000.
Accuser not a student at Nudgee College
Meanwhle, the Brisbane Times reports a man who has alleged a priest abused him at St Joseph's Nudgee College in Brisbane was not a student there, school officials say.
Paul Fauth, who said he was 59 and now lived in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, told ABC Radio Sydney last month that a priest had molested him at the school in the 1950's.
He said he had discovered during World Youth Day events that others in his class had also been abused and four had committed suicide.
Mr Fauth later told The Sun-Herald the abuse had occurred at Nudgee College.
A spokesman for the school said he could not confirm Mr Fauth's allegation but last week the spokesman said records showed no one by that name had attended the school.
''The school records of the 1950s and 1960's have been checked for both the junior and senior colleges but Paul Fauth's name did not appear on either,'' the spokesman said.
The school did not wish to make any further comment at this stage, he said.
Phil Mulhall, an executive officer of the Church's national committee for professional standards, in Sydney, said he had spoken to Mr Fauth after the alleged suicide attempt and organised flights for him to visit the dying man's family.
"I was trying to deal compassionately with him as he seemed very upset about his friend and our office gave him air tickets to get to Brisbane to see the man's family," Mr Mulhall said last week.
''I took it on face value that he was in distress and organised counselling if he wanted it. I have tried to contact him since, but he hasn't returned my calls.''
SOURCE
Former priest charged with sex offences (Sydney Morning Herald, 23/8/08)
Former Fairy Meadow priest on sex charges (Illawarra Mercury, 23/8/08)
'Abused student' mystery (Brisbane Times, 23/8/08)
LINKS
Wollongong diocese
St Joseph's College, Nudgee