Pakenham man faces child sex abuse charges

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by Cam Lucadou-Wells

A Pakenham man has faced court on 29 charges including multiple child sex abuse allegations.

Nicholas O’Shea, 30, appeared with head bowed at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday 16 February on charges spanning more than a decade.

According to charge sheets released by the court, O’Shea’s alleged offending occurred in Endeavour Hills, Narre Warren, Edithvale and Pakenham.

The accusations include soliciting child abuse material, supplying liquor and drugs to a minor, indecent assaults and two counts of sexually touching a child under 16.

Dandenong SOCIT police also charged O’Shea with two counts of alleged sexual activity in the presence of a child under 16 as well as four charges of transmitting indecent material to a person under 16.

O’Shea was also severally charged with communicating with a child under 16 to facilitate them being involved in a sexual offence with O’Shea or another adult between 2012 and 2023.

There were eight charges of transmitting private sexual material in a menacing, harassing or offensive manner.

O’Shea’s lawyer opposed the release of charge sheets in their current form due to several charges being “in dispute” and “duplicitous”.

Their release could be “misleading” and “prejudicial” to O’Shea, the lawyer argued.

Magistrate Steve Reardon said there was “little value” in the application, and ordered the release of charge sheets.

O’Shea is scheduled to appear at a committal mention at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 12 April.