Magician faces child sex charges

Franky Houdini, who this week pleaded guilty to child sex offences.

RENOWNED magician and escapologist Franky Houdini has been committed to stand trial on 19 charges involving sexual offences against teenage girls.

Ipswich Magistrates Court yesterday heard how the 35-year-old was accused of two counts of indecently dealing with a 15-year-old.

The offences allegedly occurred at Moogerah Dam between February 29 and May 1, 2008.

Another 19 charges, including 12 of indecent treatment of a child under 16, two of carnal knowledge and one each of possessing child pornography, making child pornography, procuring a child for sexual acts by false pretence and common assault, were committed to the Ipswich District Court earlier this year and will be heard in a separate trial.

An additional charge of supplying drugs to a child will be dealt with in a trial before the Brisbane Supreme Court.

All of the 19 offences were alleged to have occurred in the Ipswich region between April and July last year and also involved a 15-year-old girl.

Houdini, who is being held in custody until his trials, said nothing as he stood in the dock during yesterday's brief committal hearing.

The self-proclaimed magician, comedian and escape artist has performed at countless local shows and festivals in Queensland and New South Wales and has also performed in Europe.

He made appearances at the Rosewood Show and more recently the Moree Show and Armidale Autumn Festival in NSW, in March and April last year.

At the Moree Show Houdini performed in Kids' Korner two days in a row.

At the Armidale festival, he performed tricks including the “upside down strait jacket escape on a burning rope”.

A check of Houdini's MySpace webpage lists country singer Keith Urban, Lenny Kravitz, Jewell and Van Morrison as being among the “top 6” people he would like to meet.