A 75-year-old Adelaide man has faced the ACT Magistrates Court charged with a string of child sexual assault and act of indecency charges related to two Canberra children.
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The man was released on a number of strict bail conditions on Monday, after the court heard the 18 charges against the man related to two children in Canberra who were aged seven and nine years old at the time of the alleged offences.
The court heard the man, a resident of North Haven in Adelaide, was staying at the home of the childrens' grandparents in Canberra when the alleged offences occurred between January and March this year and three days in June.
Among the charges read out against him were: committing acts of indecency against a child under the age of 10, acts of indecency against a child under the age of 16, sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 10 and sexual intercourse with a child aged between 10 and 16.
The prosecution argued against granting bail on the grounds the man might fail to appear in future and was a risk of interfering with witnesses, but the defence argued his age and offer to provide financial surety was a sign he would abide by the bail conditions.
The man was released on bail conditions including reporting to a local South Australian police station daily, returning to the ACT for future court hearings, and not to approach or contact the family involved and proving the court $8000 in surety if any conditions were breached.
Magistrate Peter Morrison told the man that given the serious nature of the charges, if he breached any bail conditions it was likely he would be extradited back to the ACT and held in custody for future court dates.
The case will return to court in July.
