Fr Peter Dwyer is the fourth person - all priests or brothers in their 60s - arrested by detectives from Strike Force Belle from the Chifley Local Area Command.
Three of the arrests are associated with St Stanislaus’ and the fourth with the Anglican All Saints’ College in Bathurst.
At this stage, police do not believe that the two cases are linked. The only correlation is that the offences occurred during the same period.
Fr Dwyer came to Armidale late last year as a replacement parish priest and has been resident at the Catholic Presbytery in Dangar Street.
He was previously attached to the Good Shepherd Seminary at Homebush in Sydney, where he was director of first year students.
Originally a student of St Stanislaus’ in the late 1950s, he later joined the college as a teacher before becoming it’s principal in 1980.
Others arrested to date over the St Stanislaus’ allegations dating back to the 1970s are:
n Brian Spillane, 65, the college’s former chaplain, from Narwee in Sydney - charged with 93 sexual offences; and
n Brother John Gaven, 66, the college’s former bursar, from church lodgings in Marsfield - charged with 28 sexual offences.
Both have been bailed to appear at Bathurst Local Court on September 15, the same day as
Fr Dwyer.
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