Priest faces sex abuse charges

Murray Moffat pictured leaving court in Ipswich.

A FORMER Ipswich Catholic priest is to face trial over allegedly sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl.

Murray Alexander Moffat, 64, has been accused of indecent dealings with the girl while he was working as a parish priest in Booval 30 years ago.

The offences are alleged to have occurred between 1977 and 1981 when the man, then aged between 32 and 36, was working as a Catholic priest for the Sacred Heart Church.

The former priest was charged two counts of indecent treatment of a child aged under 16 in June last year following an investigation by the Ipswich Criminal Investigation Branch which lasted several months.

It is not yet known if his alleged victim was a member of his congregation.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane said Moffat had resigned from his Birkdale parish, east of Brisbane, and was on leave from any pastoral duties as a result of the allegations.

Moffat appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court yesterday and defence lawyer Patrick Spranklin did not oppose the charges being committed for trial in Ipswich District Court.

Moffat, who now lives in Brisbane, did not enter a plea to the charges and will face Ipswich District Court at a date to be fixed.