A Hunter Catholic priest has been stood down from ministry after being charged with historical child sex offences.
It follows inquiries into allegations by a 46-year-old man who told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to child sexual abuse that he was sexually abused by two priests and anther man at Taree when he was aged between 9 and 12 in the late 1970's.
A 76-year-old Newcastle man was arrested at Waratah Police Station yesterday.
He's been charged with three counts of indecent assault on a male and has been granted conditional bail to face Forster Local Court on Wednesday 5 April 2017
Police say the man is a current serving priest in the Maitland/Newcastle Catholic Diocese.
In a statement, Catholic Bishop of Maitland/Newcastle, Bill Wright said the priest has agreed to stand aside from ministry and the church will continue to cooperate with NSW Police in their investigations.
