A man has gone on trial for allegedly molesting young girls for more than a decade at his “Hillview” family farm, where groups of families gathered for religious and home birthing sessions.
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Cameron Flynn Tully, now 41, grew up on the property in Cook and was home-schooled with other family members.
The farm was the site for regular gatherings of family and friends, as well as groups of young children.
The children would spend time at the property while their parents participated in various social support groups, including a home birthing group, Christian church group and a women’s group.
Tully is accused of molesting eight young girls between 1991 and 2002, mostly at the property, but also at other sites in Canberra, including the Majura Community Centre.
He is accused of 23 offences against the children, ranging from sexual intercourse, oral sex, digital penetration and acts of indecency.
Some of the girls were allegedly molested in the farm’s wool and shearing shed, and some in the rammed earth building that acted as the family’s main living space.
Two of the complainants allege Tully touched them as he gave them piggy backs.
The allegations took some time to surface, and Tully was first approached by police in 2011.
He came before the ACT Supreme Court on Monday for a jury trial expected to take four weeks and involve a large number of witnesses.
Crown prosecutor John Lundy detailed each of the 23 allegations to the jury in his opening submission, and asked jurors to remember the historical nature of the charges when assessing the evidence of the eight girls.
Tully’s barrister Ray Livingston told the jurors they would see a police interview in which Tully completely denied ever molesting the girls.
Tully is expected to give evidence in the trial.
Mr Livingston said details of the allegations were vague, and were difficult to pin down even to a year.
He foreshadowed a large number of defence witnesses, including members of the Tully family, and children who were friends with the complainants at the time.
Those witnesses were expected to say they never saw any sign of sexual interest between Tully and the children.
Some, Mr Livingston told the jury, would say the idea of any such interest was "fanciful".
He said Tully was 18 when the first of the allegations were said to have occurred, and 29 by the time of the last alleged offence.
Mr Livingston said he would be exploring "considerable communications" between the eight complainants in the lead up to the allegations being made.
He said some had maintained contact with Tully for years after the abuse was said to have occurred, one seeking his help for a job, and another bringing around her first child to see him.
The first witness was expected to begin giving evidence on Monday afternoon.
But technical difficulties forced Justice John Burns to release the jury for the rest of the day.
The first witness is now expected to give evidence on Tuesday morning.
