Name suppression continues for man facing historical sex abuse charges linked to Auckland's Dilworth School

A man facing historical sex abuse charges linked to Auckland’s Dilworth School will have his name kept secret, for now.

He’s one of nine men charged in connection to the boys’ boarding school as a result of the police investigation, Operation Beverley.

The 70-year-old wasn’t present at the High Court in Auckland today, when Justice Sarah Katz granted him continued name suppression.

He faces three counts of indecently assaulting a boy under the age of 16 and one count of inducing a boy under the age of 10 to do an indecent act on him.

The alleged offending took place in 1973 and 1974.

The man’s set to go to trial next year, alongside other former Dilworth staff members Ross Browne, Rex McIntosh and three others, who’ve all pleaded not guilty.

Alister Harlow, 61, will go to trial separately in the Auckland District Court.

Another one of the nine charged through Operation Beverley is former Senior Master at the school, Ian Wilson.

Yesterday, the 69-year-old became the first of the group to be sentenced, after being the only one to have pleaded guilty to his charges of indecently assaulting five students.

He’s set to spend 3 years and 7 months in prison. 

Wilson’s lawyer Steve Cullen yesterday told the court when Wilson started at Dilworth School, “he was approached by a staff member who introduced him to what was effectively it seems a mode of behaviour at the school which was manifestly degenerative and abhorrent.

“He fell under the spell but that is in no way an excuse, and he accepts and acknowledges that."

Crown Prosecutor Jacob Barry also referenced “normalisation”, saying a report detailed how, “he was led to believe by other staff members that the offending was normalised and that ‘this is just want happens here’”.

It was revealed yesterday that Wilson was also charged with indecently assaulting a Dilworth student in 1997. His identity and connection to the school, in relation to that case, had been suppressed.

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Richard Galloway was also among those charged, but he died in November last year aged 69 after earlier being diagnosed with cancer. 

In a statement provided to media yesterday Dilworth Trust Board Chairman Aaron Snodgrass said, “we want to reiterate to our Old Boy community we have support services available to those who want and need them”.