A former Christian Brother, who previously taught at schools in Ballarat, and has already been jailed twice for abusing young children, has admitted assaulting 19 of his former students.
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Edward Dowlan, who now goes by Ted Bales, was imprisoned for nearly a decade in 1996 for offending against 11 students, and for six years in 2015 after he admitted the abuse of another 20 students.
On Thursday he pleaded guilty to more than 30 new charges related to the abuse of 19 boys between 1971 and 1988.
Prosecutor Brett Sonnet told Victoria's County Court that the offending occurred while Dowlan was aged between 21 and 38 and while he was working as a teacher.
All of his victims were under 16, some as young as eight.
The court heard some of the offending occurred in a classroom at Cathedral College in East Melbourne.
Other offences happened at Ballarat, Geelong, Anglesea and Warrnambool.
Dowlan taught at St Alipius Christian Brothers Boys School in 1971 and at St Patrick's College between 1973 and 1974.
Two boys were abused on a school bus while others were preyed upon by their teacher in toilet blocks, change rooms and after being sent to Dowlan for misbehaving in class.
During a football match Dowlan touched one of the boys each time their team kicked a goal, and kissed him when the team won.
Dowlan's nose poked over the top of a blue surgical mask as he faced a pre-sentence hearing.
He answered "guilty" as details of each of the 33 charges were read to him, occasionally shaking his head after uttering the admission.
When asked his occupation, the 72-year-old responded "I'm in prison".
He left the Christian Brothers in 2008.
Dowlan's offending was known as early as 1974.
Cardinal George Pell has said a boy "mentioned it casually in conversation" to him, but did not ask him to do anything.
Affected by this story? There is help available.
You can phone the Ballarat Centre Against Sexual Assault, in Sebastopol, on 5320 3933, or free-call the crisis care line 24 hours on 1800 806 292. Or phone Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380, or Relationships Australia on 1300 364 277.
Australian Associated Press
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