A FORMER Catholic priest living at Harden has been charged with 26 historic sexual assault offences.
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John Joseph Farrell, 62, has been charged with 18 counts of sexual assault and act of indecency against a person aged under 16.
He is also charged with eight counts of sexual assault of a person under 16.
Farrell appeared in Wagga Local Court on Thursday afternoon after being refused police bail.
Two specialist police sat in the public gallery for the matter.
Farrell did not apply for court bail and it was formally refused by magistrate Erin Kennedy.
The case was adjourned to Central Local Court in Sydney on June 30 for Farrell to make a bail application at that time.
The charges, details of which were not available on Thursday night, relate to alleged incidents in northern NSW about 30 years ago.
Farrell, wearing large round eye glasses and a red chequered flannelette shirt over another shirt, bowed politely to Ms Kennedy as he entered the courtroom with two Corrective Services officers.
An application for a non-publication order preventing details of the case being made public was made on Farrell’s behalf by barrister Matthew Hutchings.
Mr Hutchings made the application on a number of grounds, including the risk to Farrell’s safety should his identity be made public.
He said the type of charges laid against Farrell generated vilification and outrage in the community.
He said Farrell had been living in Harden for three years.
There are no allegations Farrell molested anybody while living in Harden.
If granted bail, he could be at risk when he travelled to appear in court, Mr Hutchings argued.
The application was opposed by police prosecutor, Sergeant Kelly Huggett.
Sergeant Huggett quoted legislation and a precedent in relation to justice being open to the public.
“In my submission, it is a matter of convenience for the accused to have a suppression in place,” Sergeant Huggett said.
Ms Kennedy went off the bench for a time to consider the application.
When she returned, she summed up the arguments of both sides before refusing the non-publication order request.
She said there was strong public interest in open justice and no evidence before the court to support the submission Farrell might be exposed to retaliation.
