Holy Spirit College groundsman charged with historic child sex offences

A letter was sent home to parents of of a school after the school’s groundsman was arrested and denied bail for a raft of historical child sex offences.

Holy Spirit College, Bellambi

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Shockwaves have been sent through an Illawarra school, after a groundsman was charged with 11 historical child sex offences on Monday.

A letter was sent home to parents of Holy Spirit College in Bellambi earlier this week, after the school’s groundsman John Robert Whittaker was arrested and denied bail at Wollongong Local Court on Monday.

Whittaker, from Figtree, was charged with 11 offences including aggravated indecent assault of a person aged under 16, committing an act of indecency with a person under 16 and aggravated sexual assault of a person under 16.

In the letter, Peter Turner, director of schools in the Wollongong Diocese made it clear the charges do not relate to a current, or former, student at the college.

“The man has been denied bail and will not be returning to the school,” he said.

“I give the strongest possible reassurance to parents, staff, students the broader community that our Catholic schools are totally committed to the care and protection of children and young people.”

Whittaker’s case will return to Wollongong Local Court on July 10.

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