Colt family: 48 charges withdrawn against three people

Prosecutors have withdrawn 48 charges against three male members of a notorious NSW family accused of horrific incest spanning generations but the trio still faces a raft of charges and may face separate trials.

Prosecutors have dropped dozens of charges against three members of a notorious NSW family accused of incestuous paedophilia.

Three men - who were given court-ordereded pseudonyms with the surname Colt - were arrested in April 2018 as part of Australia’s largest incest investigation that uncovered horrific alleged child abuse.

It came nearly six years after police found 40 relatives living in squalor on an isolated southern NSW farm before taking away inbred kids who were severely malnourished and illiterate.

Members of the Colt family have had multiple charges against them dropped.

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On Tuesday the Crown withdrew 48 charges against the trio of men as their Downing Centre District Court trial was due to begin.

A total of 20 charges were dropped against Charlie Colt, including three of his four counts of sexual intercourse with a child aged under 10.

He now only faces six charges, including raping a child aged between 10 and 14, and indecently assaulting a child aged under 16.

Police found 40 children on a farm, some in a malnourished state, while others were deformed.

Prosecutors abandoned 16 charges against Cliff Colt, including three counts of sexual intercourse with a child aged under 10 and inciting sexual intercourse with a child aged under 10.

Cliff Colt is now only facing four charges, including sexual intercourse with a child aged between 10 and 14, and indecent assault of a person aged under 16.

Judge Gina O’Rourke dismissed 12 charges against Frank Colt, including one of three counts of sexual intercourse with a child aged under 10.

The Colts lived on the fringe of society.

He is still charged with five offences, including aggravated sexual intercourse with a child aged between 10 and 14.

A court has previously heard the Colts led a nomadic lifestyle on the fringe of society and would flee across borders overnight to avoid arrest.

Judge O’Rourke adjourned the men’s matter to Wednesday to determine whether their joint trial will now be split into separate trials.