Man faces historic abuse charges in Qld

Marty Silk | January 20, 2023

A man is set to face court after being charged with raping and indecently treating a girl under the age of 14 who he knew in north Queensland more than 40 years ago. 

The 66-year-old is accused of nine counts of indecent treatment of a girl under the age of 14 and one count of rape involving the same child in the Mackay area between 1976 and 1982.

The man was arrested in Western Australia earlier this week and extradited to Queensland, and is due to face Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday.

Detective Inspector Stephen Blanchfield said the decision to come forward and report sexual assault and other trauma is very personal, but police would support victims regardless of when the offences occurred.

“Police will listen and respect your wishes and if a victim chooses to make a formal complaint and an investigation progresses, they will continue having choices throughout the investigation process,” he said in a statement.