Former Uniting Church minister Maurice Arthur Frazier Wildish guilty of sexual assault of children

A Gold Coast church minister has admitted to sexually assaulting two teenagers. Watch what happened as he walked free from court.

A former Gold Coast Uniting Church minister has been sentenced for historic sexual offences against two teenagers dating back three decades.

Maurice Arthur Frazier Wildish, 78, pleaded guilty in Southport District Court on Friday to sexually assaulting two teenagers from his then-congregation.

Prosecution Barrister Carmen De Marco told the court the first offence occurred in 1994 when Wildish had invited a family to his home for dinner. He took a 17-year-old boy for a drive in his Jaguar, with the parents’ permission, after the boy showed an interest in the car.

“During the drive the defendant (Wildish) made a sexually suggestive comment about driving manual cars,” Ms De Marco said.

“He also pointed to some bushland and said ‘See that clearing over there, that's where young boys like to give old men like me blow jobs’.”

Following the dinner, Wildish walked the victim to his car where the sexual assault took place.

“The defendant touched items within the car, before he touched (the victim’s genitals) with his hand”.

Former Uniting Church Minister Maurice Wildish plead guilty to sexually assault two teenagers. Picture: Charlton Hart

The victim reported the assault to his parents and first made police aware of the incident in 2014. He withdrew the complaint, before reinstating it in 2019.

The second offence occurred in 2001 on a 17-year-old girl. The victim and her family had also attended Wildish’ home, when he cornered the girl alone in a room and sexually assaulted her.

“He approached her as though he was going to give her a hug, but he instead he squeezed and fondled her breasts with his hands,” Ms De Marco said.

“He made inappropriate and sexually suggestive comments to her as he did so.”

Wildish denied the assault occurred when he was confronted by the victims family in the following days and claimed the contact was accidental as he tried to hug the young girl.

It was officially reported to police in 2016.

Wildish was arrested by police in Victoria in 2019 and extradited to Queensland to face separate and unrelated historic child sex offences. He was found not guilty by a jury in 2022 over the alleged sexual assault of two boys which was said to have occurred during his employment with the Uniting Church.

In 2021 Wildish was subsequently charged with a further two counts of sexual assault, relating to the two 17-year-olds.

Former Uniting Church Minister Maurice Wildish plead guilty to sexually assault two teenagers. Picture: Charlton Hart

Defence Barrister James Marxson argued his client was remorseful for his offending and tendered a letter of apology written by Wildish in 2018, before he was charged with the offences. A letter from Wildish’ doctor was also handed to the court which stated he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2022 and suffers from diabetes, hypertension as well as depression and anxiety.

In sentencing Wildish on two counts of sexual assault, which carry a maximum penalty of 17 years, Judge Deborah Holliday said it was “clearly” serious offending.

“You were a minister of the Uniting Church. It was as a result of that position that you met the two complainants,” Judge Holliday said.

“You held a position of trust in the community.”

Judge Holliday said there were “significant” mitigating factors including the decline in Wildish’ health, his guilty plea and that he hasn’t reoffended.

He was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, wholly suspended. He must be of good behaviour for 12 months.