Fresh charges laid against plastic surgeon Richard Paris Sackelariou relating to eighth girl

Prominent plastic surgeon Dr Richard Sackelariou is now facing a range of charges relating to eight girls following his arrest by Child Abuse Squad detectives.

Specialist plastic surgeon, Dr Richard Paris Sackelariou, was arrested by child abuse squad detectives.

Child abuse squad detectives have laid further charges against prominent plastic surgeon Dr Richard Sackelariou, alleging the 68-year-old used a carriage service with an intention to procure an underage girl to engage in sexual activity.

The fresh count – formally laid when Sackelariou’s charges were briefly mentioned in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday – takes the number of complainants in the case against the Vaucluse man to eight.

Sackelariou, who was not required to face court on Wednesday, was arrested at his up-market home in Sydney’s eastern suburbs on November 4 last year after an investigation allegedly uncovered the sought-after surgeon was using Snapchat to groom children before offering payments to meet up.

Police allege the Sackelariou, who had practices in Sydney and Melbourne, paid multiple underage girls to undertake sexual acts on him and on several occasions travelled to Newcastle to meet up with young girls aged between 13 and 17.

He was initially facing more than 30 charges before prosecutors indicated last month they would be going ahead with eight counts, including six counts of causing a child aged between 14 and 18 to do an act of child prostitution.

Dr Richard Sackelariou

Each of those six counts allegedly relate to separate teenage girls.

He also faces one count of attempting to cause a child aged between 14 and 18 to do an act of child prostitution.

Sackelariou is also now facing more charges including using a carriage service to procure a person under 16 years for sexual activity; use a carriage service to solicit child abuse material; possess child abuse material, and use carriage service to transmit child abuse material to himself.

He remains behind bars on remand after twice failing to be released on bail, citing “serious and life-threatening conditions” that he suffers from, including glaucoma and diverticulitis, and offered up a $700,000 to secure his release, as well as his $1.25 million property as surety.

The court heard on Wednesday that a further case conference would be needed between prosecutors and Sackelariou’s defence team and the matters were adjourned until August 16.