Police cannot rule out further arrests, or that more victims will come forward, after a Catholic brother and a teacher were charged over child sex offences at two western Sydney schools.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The offences are alleged to have occurred at a Blacktown Catholic college and a Lalor Park primary school more than two decades ago.
An investigation, named Strike Force Avia, was established in October last year after three victims, two males and a female, came forward.
Yesterday police arrested the 58-year-old male teacher, who worked part-time at both the school and college, in Blacktown. He was charged with sexual assault and indecent assault relating to the alleged abuse of a 13-year-old boy and an eight-year-old girl.
An hour later they arrested a 59-year-old Catholic brother at a home at the Entrance on the Central Coast. He was charged with six counts of indecent assault relating to two 13-year-old boys.
It is alleged that some of the offences occurred on the grounds of the primary school and college.
Detective Acting Superintendent Michael Haddow said it was too early to speculate on whether there would be more arrests.
"It is very early in the investigation at this stage to make any commitment to further arrests, but I can say that the investigation is continuing and I do urge victims to come forward to the police," Acting Superintendent Haddow said.
Acting Superintendent Haddow said while both men had both allegedly abused the same boy, the allegations before the court relate to separate assaults at separate times by the men.
There was no information before police to suggest there was a "paedophile ring" operating at either school, he said.
Neither man was working at the school at the time of their arrest.
The 58-year-old teacher was granted strict bail and will appear in Blacktown Local Court next month. The former Catholic brother will front Wyong Local Court today.
