A retired church minister has admitted to sexually abusing a boy while he was in his care at an evangelical church in regional Victoria.
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Christopher Coleborn, 76, appeared in the County Court in Melbourne on Tuesday, via video link from his home in Perth, Tasmania, where he pleaded guilty to two sex offences dating back to the late 1990s and early 2000s.
At that time he was a working as a minister at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Burkes Bridge near Cohuna, northern Victoria.
He admitted to sexually abusing a boy aged between 10 and 16 between August 1999 to August 2000, when the child was under his care, supervision or authority.
Coleborn also admitted to committing indecent assault between August 2004 and August 2005 on the same boy, where he was not consenting or might not be consenting.
"Guilty," he responded, when asked how he would plea to both charges.
Coleborn, who told the court he was a retired clergyman, was extradited to Victoria from Tasmania in August last year to face the charges.
He has since returned home where he remains on bail.
He will next face the court for a pre-sentence hearing on October 20.
Australian Associated Press
