By a Broken Rites researcher

A former member of the Catholic religious order of Christian Brothers, John J. Willett, was convicted in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court on 30 November 2009 after he pleaded guilty to indecent assault of a teenage girl in the 1970s.

He was charged under the name John Willett, now living in Western Australia. Records obtained by police indicated that his baptism certificate gave his middle name as John James Willett and that in the Christian Brothers his religious name was Brother John David Willett.

Willett (date of birth 17 November 1947) pleaded guilty to one count of indecent assault of a female.

A "Statement of Facts", submitted to the court in connection with the guilty plea, said:

"The complainant (date of birth 3/11/1956) attended Stella Maris College, Manly [in Sydney], from 1969 to 1973. Her parents were heavily involved in the Catholic Church and invited Nuns and Brothers to their residence at North Manly regularly. The accused was a Brother/teacher at St Mary's Catholic Primary School [in Manly] and was involved in extra curricular activities such as conducting the choir and taking guitar lessons. The complainant's parents held the accused in high regard and he was a trusted friend to the family. At the age of 14 years in 1971 the complainant was in year 8. She started taking private guitar lessons with the accused on Monday after school. Over a period of about two years, a sexual relationship developed between the two commencing with minor sexual acts, progressing to acts of sexual intercourse. The complainant consented to this sexual relationship.

"At the end of 1972, the accused moved to Western Australia. The accused and the complainant remained in contact, exchanging letters. In 1973 or 1974, her mother and father received an invitation to the accused's wedding. The letters had stopped prior to this time as the complainant decided she wanted nothing more to do with the accused.

"Indecent assault, female: In 1974 the accused was living in Western Australia and visited Sydney. He called in to see the complainant's parents at their home. At one stage he and the complainant were alone together in the kitchen. He approached her and touched her torso, bottom and shoulders. He also kissed her on the mouth. The complainant felt assaulted and did not consent to the touching or kissing. She was 17 years of age.

"During the early 1970s and since that time, the complainant disclosed the nature of her relationship with the accused to her friends and later her family. She complained to police in 2009.

"On 6 April 2009, a Surveillance Device Warrant (number 09/0159) was issued authorising the use of Surveillance Device Telephone Interface between 6pm on 6 April 2009 and 6pm on 21 May 2009. On 8 and 27 April 2009 the complainant contacted the accused by lawfully recorded telephone. During their conversations, he made admissions to having a sexual relationship with her when she was an adolescent and he apologised to her.

"On 16 May 2009, the accused was arrested at his home residence in Western Australia. He was extradited to New South Wales on 19 May 2009 and later charged with the matter before the court," the Statement of Facts concluded.

In court, for legal reasons, the New South Wales Director of Public Prosecutions did not charge Willett concerning the sexual incidents that occurred between 1971 and 1973 (when the girl was aged 14 to 16). Willett pleaded guilty to the incident that occurred in 1974 when the girl was aged 17. By 1974, in Western Australia, Willett had ceased being Brother Willett and was working in education as Mister Willett.

Convicting Willett, the magistrate sentenced him to a two-year good-behaviour bond.

The solicitor at the office of the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions was David Vautin. The police investigation was conducted by detectives from Manly, Sydney.