A father undressed his daughter and laid her on a church altar where pedophile priest Gerald Francis Ridsdale indecently assaulted her, a court has heard. Ridsdale, 83, has pleaded guilty to 23 charges, mainly indecent assaults but including rape, involving offences committed against 11 boys and one girl between 1962 and 1988. Crown prosecutor Jeremy McWilliams said on one occasion in 1974 the 10-year-old girl was woken up by her father, while Ridsdale waited in the hallway, and driven with the priest to the church. "(The girl's) father carried her to the confessional booth and took her clothes off her then carried her to the altar and lay her down," Mr McWilliams told the Victorian County Court. He then indecently assaulted her. "Ridsdale told her: 'Jesus died for our sins so we could be forgiven and if I confess to this sin I might be forgiven.' "Then he kissed her on the cheek." Ridsdale told another of his victims that "it's our little secret", Mr McWilliams said. "Ridsdale told him: 'Don't tell your mum and dad or your dad could die'." Defence counsel Tim Marsh earlier said Ridsdale had a small fall and then fainted but said he is OK and insisted on going to court for his plea hearing on Tuesday. The former Catholic priest has previously been convicted for sexually abusing 53 children between 1961, the year he was ordained, and the late 1980s. Ridsdale had fainted after falling on his way to court. Ridsdale had a small fall and then fainted but said he was ok and insisted on going to court for his plea hearing, defence counsel Tim Marsh told the Victorian County Court on Tuesday morning. 1993 COURT CASE 1994 COURT CASE 2006 COURT CASE 2014 COURT CASE 2017 COURT CASE ABUSE CLAIMS TO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH