Former pastor Christopher Francis Coleborn to fight historic child sex abuse charges
A Christian pastor who was formerly a minister for a church in Cohuna, in Victoria’s north, says he will fight the charges after being accused of historic child sex abuse.
Police & Courts
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A former Victorian church minister plans to fight historic child sex abuse allegations at trial.
Christopher Francis Coleborn, 75, appeared via video link in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday where he pleaded not guilty to four charges relating to sexual acts against a child two decades ago.
The Christian pastor is charged with sexual penetration of a child under 16, indecent act with a child under 16, attempted rape and indecent assault.
The alleged offending spanned from 1999 to 2005 when it is understood he was the minister for the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Cohuna in the state’s north.
Victoria Police detectives laid the charges after extraditing him from Tasmania, where he now lives, in August last year.
Details of the allegations were not aired in court, only to say that the complainant is now aged 36.
Asked by magistrate Cecily Hollingworth how he pleaded to the charges, Mr Coleborn said: “I plead not guilty, your honour”.
He waived his right to test the police’s evidence against him at a committal hearing in the lower court, instead opting to proceed straight to a County Court trial.
Ms Hollingworth said she had read the prosecution’s brief and found there was “sufficient evidence” against Mr Coleborn for his matter to go to trial.
The court heard 20 witnesses would be called during the hotly-contested trial, which is expected to run for eight days.
Mr Coleborn is on bail under strict conditions including that he reside at his Perth home in Tasmania, surrender his passport, not leave Australia and not speak to prosecution witnesses.
He will next front the County Court for a directions hearing on April 17, when a trial date is expected to be set down.
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