Catholic priest John Patrick Casey stands trial accused of historical child sex offences
By Hannah Ross
John Casey appeared in Lismore District Court today. (ABC North Coast: Hannah Ross)
In short:
John Patrick Casey has pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault against a person under the age of 16.
The Catholic priest is alleged to have given a 14-year-old boy staying at his house an indecent massage.
What's next?
The District Court jury trial is due to run for five days.
A Catholic priest has appeared before Lismore District Court to face historical child sex abuse charges.
Warning: This story contains graphic details of sexual abuse.
John Patrick Casey has pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual assault against a person under the age of 16.
The charges relate to an alleged incident in 1982 at Father Casey's home at Mallanganee in northern New South Wales.
Father Casey was the parish priest at Mallanganee between 1981 and 1988.
In her opening address, the crown prosecutor told a jury of seven women and five men the case against the 76-year-old would rely on photos and church records, but mostly on evidence from the complainant and a friend of the complainant who was also a teenager at the time.
She told the court, Father Casey took the boys out for day trips, weekends away and for sleepovers at his home, often letting them drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes.
It is alleged on one of these occasions Father Casey offered the complainant grilled lamb chops for dinner, gave him alcohol and lit a fire before starting to rub his shoulders.
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