A former rock climbing coach and Australian Institute of Sport employee has been granted bail after he was charged with committing historical sex offences on girls in Canberra and overseas.
Stephen Leonard Mitchell, 55, was arrested in Holt on Saturday night as part of Operation Pyrite; an investigation that began last July.
The probe was triggered after detectives from ACT Policing's sexual assault and child abuse team received information alleging Mr Mitchell had tried to groom a girl between 1994 and 1999.
"During the ensuing investigation, allegations of additional offences by the man against three other victims were supplied to police," the force said in a statement on Sunday.
Each of the alleged victims were elite rock climbers Mr Mitchell had coached when they were children in the 1990s and 2000s.
He was involved in a large number of sports programs and trained these girls outside his capacity at the AIS, where his resume records him working as a "sport experience program instructor" between 1996 and 2002.
An AIS business card described him as a "junior sports consultant".
While in custody over the weekend, Mr Mitchell was charged with committing five acts of indecency, in relation to three alleged victims, in the ACT.
He was further charged, in relation to one alleged victim, with committing two acts of indecency on a child outside Australia.
Magistrate Beth Campbell read the charges, which were dated between 1998 and 2006, to Mr Mitchell when the 55-year-old appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday morning.
Defence lawyer Peter Woodhouse entered not guilty pleas to each charge on Mr Mitchell's behalf, and applied for the 55-year-old to be released on bail.
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Prosecutor Andrew Chatterton told the court bail was not opposed.
Ms Campbell accordingly granted bail, imposing conditions that ban Mr Mitchell from contacting or being within 100 metres of the alleged victims.
She also told the 55-year-old he must live at a Holt address, report to Belconnen Police Station three times each week, surrender any passports or firearms, and refrain from being within 25 metres of any gymnasium or sporting club.
Mr Mitchell replied: "Yes, your honour. I agree."
He is due back in court on May 23.
