Man, 86, faces 14 historic sexual abuse charges

An 86-year-old Albany man facing mounting charges of historic sexual abuse allegedly dating back four decades could have the charges heard in a children’s court because of the age of the complainants, a court has heard.

The man was originally charged in March with three counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a child under 13 years, allegedly committed against a seven-year-old girl, but now faces 14 historical charges.

Perth detectives, with the assistance of Albany detectives, charged the man as a result of an investigation into allegations of historical child sexual abuse.

Appearing in Albany Magistrate’s Court last Thursday, four counts of indecent dealing of a child under 14 years were added by police while discontinuing two counts of incest by male.

The court heard the four new charges of indecent dealing of a child under 14 years were allegedly committed in West River in 1982 and Mt Madden in 1976 involving two separate complainants.

The man, who acknowledged the new charges when read to him, now faces four counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a child under 13, eight counts of indecent dealing of a child under 14 years and two counts of indecent dealing of a child under 13 years.

The charges were remanded until next month after Magistrate Raelene Johnston said because of the age of a complainant, the matters may need to be heard in the children’s court.

The court had previously heard the man’s alleged historical child sex abuse related to a seven-year-old girl.

He was remanded on bail and will appear in court again on July 5.