Cameron Flynn Tully has denied molesting young girls at his family's religious "Hillview" farm, saying he's never even laid eyes on one of them.
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Tully has sat and watched as eight women gave evidence to the ACT Supreme Court that he molested them during the 1990s and early 2000s, mainly on the family’s West Belconnen farm.
The 40-year-old has maintained his innocence to 23 charges, and has sat shaking his head and scribbling notes during the evidence against him. On Thursday, it was his turn to give evidence from the witness box as the defence started its case.
Larger numbers of children were brought to Hillview while their parents gathered for church, ladies meetings, home birthing groups, and other events, such as bonfires.
The Crown alleges Tully abused and raped children across the large property, including in the shearing shed, the newly constructed rammed earth building that acted as the family’s main home, and at a dilapidated old shed.
He is also accused of molesting girls at other locations around the ACT, including during a game of hide and seek at a Canberra home and at the Majura Community Centre.
Barrister Ray Livingston put the allegations of four of the eight girls to Tully on Thursday.
Tully denied molesting the girls, saying he'd never laid eyes on one of the complainants.
That girl alleged she was lured into a bedroom to see a kitten before Tully molested her.
But Tully said the family had kept kittens in secure cages outside until they were older.
He rejected molesting one of the girls in the shearing shed during a bonfire night in 1998, saying the family hadn’t had a fire that year.
Another girl alleged she was molested on a fold-out couch in the children’s room, or library, in the main house of Hillview.
But Tully said there'd never been a fold-out couch in that room.
He also denied allegations he molested a complainant as he gave her a piggyback ride, saying he'd only given piggyback rides to his immediate family.
Earlier, he spoke of building the rammed earth home at Hillview with his family from 1988 to 1992.
He gave evidence that the design of the home meant the acoustics were very loud, and he could easily hear what was happening in other rooms.
Tully also spoke of working significant hours at various jobs, including delivering The Canberra Times, and joked that his mother said the last day she'd seen him was when he got his driver's licence.
His evidence continues on Thursday afternoon.