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Prosecutors have laid an extra nine charges against former rock-climbing coach Stephen Mitchell, who is accused of child sexual assault offences.
Key points:
- A further two people have come forward, bringing the total number of alleged victims to seven
- Mr Mitchell now faces 26 charges relating to grooming and sexual conduct with children
- The charges relate to when he was coaching local and international junior rock climbers in the 1990s-2000s
A further two alleged victims have come forward to ACT Policing's Operation Pyrite investigation into his alleged activities, bringing the total number of alleged victims to seven.
Mr Mitchell is now facing 26 charges relating to grooming, sexual conduct with children outside Australia, and engaging in sexual activity with children between 1994 and 2005.
The nine new charges are:
- Four counts of an act of indecency on a person under 16 years
- One count of an act of indecency without consent
- Two counts of false or misleading information knowingly
- One count of false or misleading information aggravated
Mr Mitchell faced the ACT Magistrates Court today where his lawyer Peter Woodhouse said the brief was large and complex, and that he would need some time to go through it.
The court also heard that some reports were still to be completed.
The case has been adjourned until October.
Police allege security clearance obtained with false information
The 56-year old was first charged in February for acts of indecency involving three girls who were between 11 and 14 at the time when he was coaching local and international junior rock climbers in the 1990s and early 2000s.
An additional two alleged victims came forward earlier this year after he was first charged.
One of the fresh charges comes after police investigated how Mr Mitchell obtained a security clearance to work for Australian government departments overseas.
Police will allege he obtained his security clearance by making false and misleading statements.
Mr Mitchell has been on bail since his first appearance in court earlier this year.
Mr Mitchell coached a number of champion junior rock climbers in Canberra from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, and, for a time, was employed by the Australian Institute of Sport.
In the early 2000s, he was employed by the ACT Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) in a position funded by the Australian Federal Police.
And in the mid-2000s, he was employed for a number of years by Sport Climbing Australia, rock climbing's governing body.
Anyone with fresh information about Mr Mitchell is urged to contact Crime Stoppers and refer to the AFP's Operation Pyrite.