A SECOND elderly Armidale man has been charged with more than a dozen historical child sex offences, as part of an investigation into alleged activities at a New England school.
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The 77-year-old was arrested by detectives attached to Strike Force Flair at his home in Armidale yesterday morning and a police raid saw photographs seized from inside the home.
The former teacher is accused of indecently assaulting and detaining young children at Ben Venue Public School in the 1970s.
Strike Force Flair was set up by New England detectives in 2013 to investigate the alleged historical sexual assaults of children at the school in the 1970s, after a referral from the royal commission into child sex abuse.
Yesterday’s arrest is the second by the covert police operation, after another former teacher, living in Armidale, was charged five weeks ago with dozens of offences upon several students.
In an interview with The Leader yesterday, New England crime manager Detective Inspector Ann Joy said the 77-year-old man was facing 15 separate offences, allegedly committed between 1970 and 1974.
“There has been a lot of investigative work in relation to this matter,” she said.
During the investigation, police said six people, who were under the age of 16 years at the time of the alleged incidents, have come forward and spoken with detectives.
Last night, detectives charged the elderly man with offences including indecent assault with a victim
under 16, detain for advantage and common assault on a female.
“This is the second arrest by Strike Force Flair,” Detective Inspector Joy said.
“These investigations take up a significant number of resources, obviously, in the command, and with the State Crime Command assisting often in that process.”
A Fairfax Media investigation in 2014 exposed claims of alleged sexual abuse at Ben Venue Public School by two male teachers and a former principal, Peter Garland, who died in 2010.
In May this year, The Leader revealed a 71-year-old man had been charged with 33 offences, with allegations he assaulted 18 separate former students, mostly on the grounds of the school between 1970 and 1974, while he was a teacher. He remains on bail and will answer the charges in court later this month.
Detective Inspector Joy said the arrests showed that, despite the time that had lapsed, police weren’t deterred and would probe any complaint.
“It has been a lengthy investigation,” she said.
“Police will investigate any information that is provided.”
The man has been granted conditional bail, to appear at Armidale Local Court in August.
