A 78-year-old man from Adelaide's western suburbs has been charged with 55 historical sexual abuse offences, including multiple counts of rape, unlawful sexual intercourse, sexual abuse of a child, gross indecency and indecent assault. The charges relate to 29 known victim-survivors, many of whom were children at the time of the alleged offending, and are linked to the now defunct Magill training centre, a former youth detention facility in South Australia.
Alleged Offences Span 25 Years
Police allege the man sexually abused children connected to the Magill training centre between 1978 and 2003. The man, who had access to the centre, was not a government employee or employed at the facility, according to SA police assistant commissioner Stuart McLean.
McLean told reporters at a press conference on Thursday that the arrest was the result of ongoing investigations by Task Force Libero, a dedicated unit established to investigate allegations of sexual abuse at the Magill training centre.
Task Force Libero Investigation
The investigation into the man began in December 2023, with the task force formally established in March 2025. This is the task force's first arrest, but McLean anticipates the potential for further arrests as investigations continue.
“These are very complex and protracted investigations, but the determination and the commitment of those investigators throughout that period leading to the arrest today is a significant body of work. I’m very proud of the work they’ve done,” McLean said.
Police Commit to Supporting Victims
McLean confirmed that police would take steps to protect the identity of all victim-survivors, as they were children at the time of the alleged offences. He said police remain committed to supporting victim-survivors despite the “passage of time” since the alleged crimes.
“We are committed to investigating matters and we will put the investigative effort into it, complex protractive matters can take time, but when we have sufficient evidence to support charges, we’ll bring people before the court,” he said.
The man was expected to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday. In Australia, children, young adults, parents and teachers can contact the Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800; adult survivors can seek help at Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380. Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.
