Former church elder Peter Mitchelson is facing more than 50 charges, including 21 counts of rape, which police allege took place between 2008 and 2018.
Peter Mitchelson has been accused of using his position in the church community to coerce young men into non-consensual sexual acts on the Sunshine Coast and in Brisbane.A former Jehovah's Witness elder has been committed to stand trial for raping and sexually abusing young men on the Sunshine Coast over a 10-year period.
Police said the acts were non-consensual and made the alleged victims feel "used, controlled, and lied to". One man was allegedly told by Mr Mitchelson he would be "cleansed" of human papillomavirus if he allowed Mr Mitchelson to penetrate him. "It is a very insular environment, where the slightest discretion is treated by the church, not within the family unit," she said.
Magistrate Callaghan refused an application for bail on the newer charges, today finding Mr Holt had not established that his client did not present an unacceptable risk of interfering with witnesses — even with strict bail conditions.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Former Sunshine Coast radio host Peter Lang found guilty of historical sexual offences against childPeter Lang, who was a prominent radio host on the Sunshine Coast, has been found guilty of charges including carnal knowledge of a girl under 16.
Read more »
In the witness box: former police officer Zachary Rolfe testifiesCourts and justice reporter Nino Bucci tells Nour Haydar how Zachary Rolfe’s evidence at the inquest into Warlpiri man Kumanjayi Walker’s death raised questions about the culture of widespread racism in the NT police force
Read more »
Sunshine Coast council election results show Rosanna Natoli leading for mayorRosanna Natoli leads by 5,000 votes as she nervously waits to see which way the preferences fall, while her husband Joe Natoli is likely to serve another four years as a councillor.
Read more »
Ariana Grande: Eternal Sunshine review – a clearing of the emotional decksPost-divorce, the American pop star returns with a sumptuous collection that has just the right amount of bite
Read more »
Sunshine Coast community helps Ross Day after houseboat sinks in Maroochy RiverPensioner Ross Day says his houseboat was 'a good idea at the time' when trying to find an affordable housing solution on the Sunshine Coast but wild weather turned his life upside-down.
Read more »
Final resting place for haunting Sunshine Coast tourism iconFor more than a century, beachgoers gazed at the wreck of the SS Dicky. Those days have sailed but the great ship’s legacy, with tales of unproven murder and earlier adventures, live on.
Read more »