Ex-Villanova College priest Michael Ambrose Endicott in court over historical indecent treatment charges

A former Catholic priest is on trial for indecently dealing with a student from a college where he worked, by taking photos of the boy when he was naked and touching him.

The Crown will call two other former Villanova College students with “similar fact evidence” of Endicott taking photos of them. Picture: Brian Bennion

A former Catholic priest is on trial for indecently dealing with a student from a college where he worked, by taking photos of the boy when he was naked and touching him.

Michael Ambrose Endicott allegedly committed eight indecent dealing offences between 1975 and 1981, while the boy, a student of Villanova College, was aged eight to 15.

Endicott has pleaded not guilty to all charges in Brisbane District Court.

Michael Ambrose Endicott allegedly committed eight indecent dealing offences between 1975 and 1981, while the boy, a student of Villanova College, was aged eight to 15.

Crown prosecutor Russell Clutterbuck said the complainant, now 52, was a day student at the Brisbane college, where Endicott was a priest and teacher.

The first act of indecent dealing occurred in 1975, on a school hiking trip to Binna Burra, when the boy was aged nine, Mr Clutterbuck said.

Endicott asked the boy to go with him to a creek, where he asked him to take off his swimmers and then photographed him, while the boy was naked, the court was told.

Endicott got the boy to pose naked in front of a tree and lie on his back on a large boulder, with his knees bent and legs spread apart, while he took indecent photos, it is alleged.

In 1979, when the boy was 12 and in Year eight, Endicott asked him to go with him to the school’s flag tower and directed him to take his clothes off, Mr Clutterbuck said.

Endicott photographed the naked boy, it is alleged.

In 1980, when the boy was 14 and in Year nine, Endicott is alleged to have photographed him in various stages of undress, during a retreat at Clayfield.

Mr Clutterbuck said Endicott went into a room where the boy was painting and asked him to take off his board shorts and pull down his underpants.

He allegedly asked the boy to arouse himself and took photos of the boy masturbating before putting his mouth on the boy’s penis, the court was told.

The complainant, now 52, was a day student at the Brisbane college, where Endicott was a priest and teacher. File picture

Another indecent dealing act allegedly occurred in 1981, when the boy was in Year 10 and at a school sports afternoon at another school.

Mr Clutterbuck said Endicott took the boy to a female change room and asked him to strip naked before he took photos of the boy as he was showering and drying off.

Mr Clutterbuck said after that incident the boy became mischievous, tried to blow up the school toilet block and was suspended for a week.

He said when the boy returned to school, the school counsellor who saw him was Endicott, who rubbed him on his backside, over his clothing.

Mr Clutterbuck said a year after the boy left school he was drinking with a friend and disclosed to him part of what Endicott had done to him.

The Crown will call two other former Villanova College students with “similar fact evidence” of Endicott taking photos of them.

One would tell the court that Endicott photographed him naked after taking him to bushland, Mr Clutterbuck said.

He said another would tell how Endicott asked him to pose for a photo, with his swimmers pulled down low, while they were in the school bell tower.

The court was closed while the complainant was giving evidence.