Pedophile priest admits more child rapes
A former Catholic priest jailed for sexually abusing more than 70 children over decades has admitted to more crimes in court.
Appearing in Bendigo Magistrates Court via video link from Port Phillip Prison as he lay in his prison bed, 90-year-old Gerald Ridsdale pleaded guilty to eight additional sexual assault charges against children.
He was facing 62 child sexual assault charges but 56 were withdrawn.
The former Catholic priest admitted six counts of indecently assaulting young males and two counts of buggery of two children who were aged under 14.
The crimes were committed in the regional Victorian towns of Inglewood, Ballarat, Apollo Bay, Horsham and Mortlake between 1973 and 1981.
“Are you guilty or not guilty, Mr Ridsdale,” Magistrate Megan Aumair asked the accused on Wednesday.
“I’m guilty,” Ridsdale replied.
The notorious pedophile priest will next appear at Bendigo County Court on February 17, 2025 for a plea hearing.
Ridsdale is serving a maximum of 40 years in prison after previously pleading guilty to sexually abusing at least 72 children during the 1970s and ’80s while working as a Catholic priest at multiple schools and churches across Victoria.
If he serves out his current maximum sentence, Ridsdale will be at least 100 years old.
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His previous offending largely took place in western Victoria where he spent most of his time as a priest after being ordained in 1961.
He also served in NSW and in New Mexico in the United States, where he underwent church-connected sex offender treatment.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
– AAP
