A Victorian priest who pleaded guilty to eight sexual offences involving children expressed remorse saying that he had been a "bloody idiot" and "ruined everything", the Geelong County Court was told. The Geelong Advertiser reports the Meredith priest who kept images of a boy masturbating has been held in custody ahead of sentencing next month.
Edmund John Haines has pleaded guilty to six counts of an indecent act with a child under 16, procurement of a minor for child pornography and possessing child pornography.
The crimes occurred in Bannockburn, Winchelsea and Geelong between March 2006 and February 2008.
Geelong County Court heard that Haines pulled down the pants of a 15 year old boy to take photos and fondle his genitals on multiple occasions.
On another occasion Haines asked the same boy to masturbate on a bed while he left the room, later returning to capture images on his mobile phone, The Age says.
After this incident he gave the boy a radio Esky as a gift.
The defendant was arrested in February when he gave his old phone to a parishioner which still contained images of one of the victims.
Brian Bourke, appearing for Haines, called four character witnesses who described a respected man devoted to the Catholic Church.
Friend and former colleague Dr Kevin Yelberton told court Haines constantly expressed his remorse in their daily phone conversations.
"He uses language like, 'I've been a bloody idiot, I've ruined everything, I've ruined the parish',".
Another witness Patricia Colla said Haines was beloved in the small Meredith community where he lived at the time, and reports of his sexual perversions were "not at all the man we know."
But Judge Geoffrey Chettle said Haines' standing in the community highlighted the extent of the "gross breach of trust."
Haines will remain in custody until sentencing on November 4.
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(Source: CTHN)