Former Gosford Mayor and Coast Shelter founder, Laurie Maher, has fronted court for the first time after being charged with a series of historic sexual abuse offences in April.
Maher is facing 13 charges including four counts of buggery, six counts of sexual assault and three counts of indecent assault, as part of a police investigation into alleged historical abuse at the defunct Mt Penang Training School in the 70s and 80s.
Maher was Superintendent of the facility at the time and is accused of sexually abusing six boys between 1977 and 1988.
He is the ninth person to be charged as part of the investigation.
He appeared at Penrith Local Court on Friday, August 28, for a committal hearing for the prosecution to confirm what formal charges they’ll proceed with.
It comes after an attempt to have a non-publication order placed on the matter was refused.
Maher has yet to enter a plea.
His case will return to the same court in October.
Dilon Luke