The Manley Dailey
18 June 2008
A FORMER Collaroy Plateau priest engaged in sex acts with seven teenage pupils while he was a teacher at a school for troubled boys, a court has heard.
Paul Raymond Evans, who was a priest at St Rose of Lima church at Collaroy Plateau, has pleaded not guilty to 20 serious child sex charges allegedly committed while he worked at Boys' Town at Engadine, in Sydney's south, between 1977 and 1988.
Yesterday the Sydney District Court heard Mr Evans gave special treatment to several pupils taking one on a trip to Queensland, allowing others to drink alcohol and drive a school vehicle around a national park who he molested, abused and sexually assaulted.
Crown prosecutor Priscilla Adey said one victim, then aged 15, claimed Mr Evans took off his clothes in front him and said: "It's natural, we both have the same things."
One of the victims claims he was abused once a week by Mr Evans, who was in charge of after school activities.
Father Chris Riley, from the Youth Off The Streets program, yesterday told the court he came to Boys' Town as school principal in 1986 and it was "out of control".
"It was a culture shock for me," he said. "Boundaries were being crossed on so many levels."
He said there were many examples of "inappropriate touching" between teachers and pupils while Mr Evans allowed teenage boys to sit on his knee, pull his beard and give him piggy backs in the school yard.
"Any child that's attached to one person puts up red signals for me," Father Riley said. "I find that bizarre."
He said certain students would be difficult, rude and arrogant with other teachers but displayed "loyalty" to Mr Evans.
Father Riley said he raised concerns with the school director about teachers taking a sole student away for the weekend but nothing changed.
He said he fired Mr Evans from the school in 1988 after a complaint was made by a student.
The case continues.
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