A man who had access to children in South Australia’s youth detention centre has been charged with historical sexual abuse offences dating back to 1978.
The 78-year-old from Adelaide’s western suburbs was charged with 55 offences including multiple counts of rape, unlawful sexual intercourse, sexual abuse of a child, gross indecency and indecent assault. Police say the charges relate to 29 known victim-survivors, many of whom were children at the time of the alleged offending.
All charges are linked to the now defunct Magill training centre and date between 1978 and 2003.
In court in Adelaide on Thursday, a prosecutor told magistrate Patrick Hill the majority of the complainants were Aboriginal children.
Police have spoken to a further 19 complainants who had alleged sexual abuse, but had expressed “some reticence about providing witness statements”, she said.
Including those allegations, the timeframe of the alleged abuse spanned 1971 to 2005.
“They’re engaging with police, but there is a risk that those witnesses will be deterred from engaging with police if the defendant remains in the community,” the prosecutor said.
The man’s identity and occupation were suppressed.
The magistrate remanded the accused rapist in custody pending a home detention report being presented to the court on September 18.
He will face a charge determination hearing on January 12.
Earlier on Thursday, the SA police assistant commissioner, Stuart McLean, told reporters that the arrest was the result of ongoing investigations by taskforce Libero.
Sign up for the Breaking News Australia email“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,” he said.
He also said police would take steps to protect the identity of all victim-survivors as they were children at the time of the alleged offences.
McLean said the investigation into the man began in December 2023, with the taskforce formally established in March 2025. This is the taskforce’s first arrest, but McLean said he anticipates the potential for further arrests as investigations continue.
He said police remain committed to supporting victim-survivors despite the “passage of time” since the alleged crimes.
“Complex protractive matters can take time, but when we have sufficient evidence to support charges, we’ll bring people before the court.”
• 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
