Amid a probe into abuse in the disability sector by the Victorian Ombudsman, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Friday that Craig Gilbert Handasyde was a disability development services officer when he indecently assaulted the men in four care facilities in Melbourne's eastern suburbs between 1998 and 2004 and in 2010 and 2011.

Handasyde, who has not worked in the disability sector since 2013 and quit the DHS last year, is charged with 19 counts of indecent assault by a disability worker.

The 47-year-old is yet to formally plead guilty, but the court heard he would do so, having approached police in December last year and admitted his offending.

It is understood six of the eight men abused are unable to communicate. The men were aged between 25 and 50 at the time of the offending, the court was told.

Police allege six of the charges relate to Handasyde indecently assaulting the men, while three more charges relate to him cuddling clients while they were in bed. Ten of the charges relate to him appearing naked in clients' bedrooms or in common living areas.

Defence counsel Paul Higham on Friday applied for Handasyde's charges to be heard before a magistrate, where a lower penalty would apply. A magistrate can impose a maximum jail term of two years on a single offence, or a maximum five years for multiple offences.

Mr Higham acknowledged Handasyde's offending was serious, a breach of trust and had objectified the men.

But he said the offending would never have come to light had Handasyde not contacted police and "made a full and frank interview that was punctuated on occasions by his clear distress".

Magistrate Ann Collins said she was concerned about the impact of the abuse on vulnerable members of the community and refused the application. Some family members of some of the men cried when the magistrate announced her decision.

Prosecutor Luisa Di Pietrantonio, in opposing to Handasyde's application, said the offending was serious and that the care worker had been aware of his victims' level of understanding and their vulnerability.

On at least one occasion, Ms Di Pietrantonio said, Handasyde kept abusing a client even when he knew the man wanted him to stop.

During his interview with police he tried to justify some of his offending, the court heard.

The circumstances of why Handasyde abused the men did not emerge, but Mr Higham told the court his client's admissions to police were "important to him and important to his faith".

Handasyde had his bail extended to return to court in May.