Source: Mudgee Guardian

Child sex charges
Friday, 27 June 2003

[Ed. note: The accused has been identified by the court as Noel Roy Harvey. Some of the offenses with which he is charged allegedly took place when the accused was in the "work." ]

Police escort a 59-year-old man charged with child sex offences from the Mudgee Local Court after a bail hearing.

A 59-year-old Mudgee man will re-appear in Mudgee Local Court on Monday facing 19 child sex offences after being denied bail during a hearing yesterday morning.

During the bail hearing, Chamber Magistrate Russell Sear issued a suppression order preventing publication of the accused man's name.

Police arrested the man at 9.30am Wednesday and charged him with 18 child sex offences against a number of children living in the Riverina, North Coast, Central West and other areas of the State. A 19th charge was laid yesterday morning.

The offences are alleged to have occurred between 1977 and 1995.

Facts tendered before court allege some of the offences occurred at a Mudgee rural property while others occurred at Coolatai, the Riverina and the MacLean/Casino area of northeast NSW.

A police media statement said the man was an ex-minister of a non-denominational Christian group and that this group was cooperating fully with police in relation to the matter.

Police said the accused is no longer a member of the group.

The accused man was represented in court by solicitor Richard Wise of Mudgee, who made application for bail so the man could "get his affairs in order".

Mr Wise said the man had employment working as a pruner at a Mudgee vineyard and proposed that the man be placed under curfew from 6pm to 7am. He said the wife of the accused was prepared to be go surety for the man and that she was at present trying to raise a $1000 surety.

"The five alleged victims do not live in Mudgee and I propose that bail conditions should include the accused staying away from them," Mr Wise said.

Detective Senior Constable Jason Puxty, speaking for the prosecution in opposing bail, told the court police believe the accused had committed a number of offences on children aged from five to 14 years between 1977 and 1994.

"I ask your honour to consider the strength of the prosecution brief and we have overwhelming evidence from victims and witnesses and dates of offences.

"The accused has a propensity to sexually assault children and if convicted I believe a custodial sentence will be handed down."

Mr Wise said the man has lived in Mudgee since 1989, was married in 1985, has no children and had worked at Mudgee Hospital for 10 years but is no longer employed there.

In refusing bail, Chamber Magistrate Sear said he had the onerous duty to ensure the accused attends court as required and to protect the community and adjourned the matter to Monday June 30.

"A further application for bail may be made when he re-appears [in Court] on Monday," he said.

Both the prosecution and defence, in response to a question from the Chamber Magistrate, said they had no further submissions to make.

Chamber Magistrate Sear then asked if there was any application for a suppression order. After discussion between Mr Wise and the accused, a suppression order was applied for and granted with an appeal by the media declined.