Australian man, 73, facing 55 charges granted bail — ABC News Australia
In Adelaide, Australia, a magistrates' court granted bail with a home detention condition to a 73-year-old man facing 55 charges over sexual offences. Many of these charges concern children. The man's identity has not been disclosed under a court order.
Charges involving 29 people
As ABC News Australia reports, the man from Adelaide's western suburbs is accused of offences involving 29 alleged victims over more than two decades. The charges include multiple counts of rape, unlawful sexual intercourse, child sexual abuse, gross indecency and indecent assault.
Police previously said that the man had access to the Magill Training Centre, a closed juvenile detention centre in Adelaide. However, according to police, he was not a government employee. The centre closed in 2012.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Bail conditions
Magistrate Patrick Hill granted bail under strict conditions, noting that the alleged offences were historical in nature. The magistrate described the charges as extremely serious, but took into account that 20 years had passed since the last alleged incident, the man's age and the possibility of home detention.
The prosecution opposed any form of bail. The man will be electronically monitored and will be allowed to leave his home detention address only in an emergency. He was also placed under mandatory child-related restrictions and prohibited from contacting a number of people in connection with the charges and the ongoing investigation.
The next hearing in the case, at which the further consideration of the charges will be determined, has been scheduled for January.
