A 65-YEAR-old former priest is facing 33 charges, following allegations a pedophile ring of priests and teachers had operated at an lusive private school in central west New South Wales.
Shocking allegations have surfaced about years of sex abuse at St Stanislaus' College in Bathurst from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.
At least 13 alleged victims have come forward since local police were first alerted last year by men claiming to have been abused while they were students at the private school. Police are now urging all victims of the alleged pedophile ring to come forward.
Police have released scant information but have asked anyone else who fell victim to the alleged abuse to contact police.
"I would imagine it would be very hard for anyone subject to these sort of things to come forward," Detective Superintendent Michael Goodwin said.
"All I can say is that NSW police force will be providing every form of support we possibly can to make the process for them as trouble-free as possible.
Supt Goodwin would not reveal how many suspects are being investigated but said police inquiries had not led officers to any other schools where former St Stanislaus staff may have also been employed.
"All of the lines of inquiry that have been presented to us have been explored and are being investigated," he said.
"There's no loose ends being let go at this stage.
"I can confirm that there's no one at the school at the moment that is subject to that inquiry."
On May 23, the former priest was charged with offences relating to sexual assault and gross acts of indecency of boys aged between 10 and 18 years old.
"At this stage we're looking at 13 victims and we're following up those lines of inquiry at the moment," Supt Goodwin said.
St Stanislaus principal John Edwards said he had been served with a search warrant last month which listed the names of three former staff members.
"There were three former staff member who were listed on the search warrant that was served on me in early July, and we facilitated the gathering of material for police," Mr Edwards told Fairfax Radio Network today.
"I'm not able to comment any further."
Mr Edwards also said he first became aware of the allegations "several years ago" when, he said, he referred the claims to police.
"The college received some internet material which contained allegations that I think are linked to the ones that are currently taking place," he said.
"Those matters were referred to the police some years ago."
He said the material included claims of late night prayer and chanting sessions in which boys were sexually abused.
"Those circumstances where people have betrayed trust, it is a matter of grave concern and shame, and it needs to be addressed comprehensively in order to protect children in the future," Mr Edwards said.
"I can assure parents that this school is committed to the most thorough child protection measures, that we have been implementing for some considerable period of time.
"We work closely with authorities in the area of child protection, we are committed to protecting children wherever we can."
Supt Goodwin would not specify how many suspects are being investigated or reveal their whereabouts.
"We're pursuing those lines of inquiry and to anticipate when charges will be laid at this stage is a little bit presumptuous," he said.
New South Wales Police have broadened investigations into Australia's oldest Catholic boarding school, St Stanislaus College in Bathurst, New South Wales, following claims that at least 13 men were sexually abused while children at the school in the 1970s and 1980s. The claims have surfaced following police being alerted in August last year.

Police have appealed for victims to come forward, but acknowledged it may be difficult for some. "I would imagine it would be very hard for anyone subject to these sort of things to come forward," Detective Superintendent Michael Goodwin said. "All I can say is that NSW police force will be providing every form of support we possibly can to make the process for them as trouble-free as possible." 
St Stanislaus College is at the centre of an on-going child-sex abuse investigation.
Superintendent Goodwin reassured the community that the allegations date back two decades and there is "absolutely no suggestion whatsoever that the college involved is/has been looking to anything in the current day."

"The college involved has been cooperating with the police completely with this inquiry," Goodwin added.

The police would not release how many suspects were being investigated but said their inquiries had not led them to any other locations where former staff may have been employed. Superintendent Goodwin said Police were exploring all lines of enquiry and that "no loose ends are being let go at this stage."

The school's principal, John Edwards, said the police had served him with a search warrant last month which listed the names of three former staff members.

"There were three former staff member who were listed on the search warrant that was served on me in early July, and we facilitated the gathering of material for police," Mr Edwards told Fairfax Radio Network.

Mr Edwards called for the matter to be transparent and described the complaints as "gravely concerning" and he hopes they are properly dealt with by the courts.
Front of St Stanislaus College in Bathurst, facing Brilliant Street.
"It is absolutely a requirement for this matter to be open, for this matter to be addressed and this matter to be resolved," he said. "This school is very concerned to ensure that children are treated well and that their interests are protected."

A former priest, Brian Joseph Spillane, aged 65 was arrested over the case in May. He faced Bathurst Local Court in July, facing 33 separate charges including six counts of sexual intercourse with pupils aged 10 and 18.

Spillane's lawyer, Greg Walsh, says media reports alerted him to the new claims.

"I don't know anything about eight alleged other victims, I've not been served with any witness statements so I really can't comment about it," said Walsh.

One former student described the alleged abuse as "an orgy", claiming that boys were herded into a prayer room by a priest chanting "hypnotic" spells in tongues. It is alleged that boys were subject to sexual abuse or forced to assault each other once in the prayer room.

A former border told ''The Daily Telegraph'' that priests "got a group between eight and 12 of us together and they'd just start chanting and I would wake up during these sessions and see what was going on."

The allegations came to light after one of the alleged victims made a visit to Bathurst last year to hand out fliers documenting the abuse and providing a link to his website address. The school called in police, who the victim claims contacted him and asked him to make a complaint.