Peter Andrew Hansen to face fresh child pornography charges, court hears
The former head of the ALP’s Cabramatta branch arrested over child pornography offences in October last year could be set to face fresh charges, a court has heard.
A former ALP branch president arrested last year over allegedly producing and importing child pornography from Southeast Asia could face fresh charges, a court has heard.
Peter Andrew Hansen, 61, has spent almost nine months behind bars since Australian Federal Police raided his Cabramatta home on October 10, 2018.
Hansen’s matter was mentioned at Central Local Court on Wednesday, where Magistrate Margaret Quinn heard the Crown expected further charges to be laid.
The court heard police were working with overseas counterparts to obtain new statements from alleged victims.
Hansen was not required to appeal in court, where his matter was adjourned until August.
He was first arrested by federal police at Sydney Airport on October 6 on arrival from Vietnam, where he had been living for the previous four months.
The former Fairfield Council candidate was charged with three offences including produce child pornography outside Australia, possess child abuse material and intentionally import prohibited tier-2 goods without approval.
He was initially granted bail but was taken into custody following the raid on his home just days later.
The NSW Supreme court heard in March 2019 that police had visited Hansen at Kariong Correctional Centre on the Central Coast on March 4 and hit him with 21 further charges.
However, those charges have not yet been listed in the Local Court.
It is alleged the material in question exploited children in the Philippines.
Hansen was the Labor Party’s Cabramatta branch secretary at the time of his arrest.
He was stood down just before an interim suppression order prohibiting the publication of his charges was lifted in March — five months after his arrest.
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The self-described “proud Cabramattan” also served as a priest in the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne until his resignation in 2011.
He is fluent in Vietnamese and has worked as a lawyer, an Asian studies lecturer and has volunteered as a legal adviser for Vietnamese asylum seekers in Hong Kong and the Philippines.
Hansen did not apply for bail on Wednesday and it was formally refused.
His matter is listed for committal when it is set to return to Central Local Court on August 28.
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