Plastic surgeon Dr Richard Sackelariou’s child sex abuse charges move to Newcastle

A highly sought-after Sydney plastic surgeon, who is facing more than 30 charges including child sex abuse, will have his matters heard in Newcastle where some of the alleged offences took place.

Dr Richard Sackelariou had his matters heard for the first time at Newcastle Local Court. Supplied Amy Ziniak

A highly sought-after Sydney plastic surgeon who is facing 31 charges – including child sex abuse – will have his matters heard in Newcastle for now, after a court heard a “number of complainants are in the catchment area”.

Dr Richard Paris Sackelariou, 68, of Vaucluse, a veteran surgeon of 40 years who has practices in Sydney and Melbourne, is facing allegations he paid multiple underage girls to undertake sexual acts on him.

Police alleged in court the Double Bay surgeon had travelled to the Newcastle region on several occasions, and met up with the young girls between the ages of 13 and 17.

The court previously heard Sackelariou allegedly used the instant messaging service Snapchat, where he contacted the children under the alias “Alexandre Oret” and groomed them, including promising payment for their meetings.

For the first time the plastic surgeon – who is in custody but wasn’t required to appear – had his matters heard at Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday.

Specialist plastic surgeon, Dr Richard Paris Sackelariou is facing more than 30 charges including child sex offences.

His solicitor Amanda Pappas told the court a magistrate at Waverley Local Court transferred her client’s matters from Sydney, with some of the allegations arising from Newcastle. However she said a bulk of the allegations were from Sydney.

The court heard the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) also requested for it to stay in Newcastle and that a partial brief of the matters was described as “very large”.

Magistrate Janine Lacy questioned its location but agreed the matters would stay in Newcastle “for the moment”.

“I don’t want to play ping-pong, I’m not going to send it around various locations,” Magistrate Lacy said.

All 31 charges were adjourned until March, as well as four apprehended violence orders to the same date.

Sackelariou was arrested at his Vaucluse home on November 4 last year and charged with 17 offences, before being slapped with a further 14 charges in December.

They include using a carriage services to procure someone under the age of 16 for sexual activity, cause child older than 14 and younger than 18 to do act of child prostitution, intentionally sexually touch child older than 10 and younger than 16 and have sexual intercourse with child older than ten and younger than 14.

Sackelariou’s second floor practice at Chapel Court Double Bay.

Dr Sackelariou is facing 31 allegations, including child sex offences.

The Sydney surgeon has already made two failed bids for bail.

On his previous attempt in December, his lawyers offered up a staggering $700,000 to secure his release, as well as his $1.25 million property as surety and conditions that he wear an electronic tracking bracelet.

The court heard Sackelariou suffered from “serious and life-threatening conditions” including glaucoma and diverticulitis, an intestinal swelling condition, which required him to be released to seek treatment, citing they couldn’t be managed in jail.

The Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC) is also currently assessing an active complaint against the surgeon, which could see the medical registration of the 68-year-old suspended.