NZ Herald
May 17 2004 12:15

Former Catholic priest pleads guilty to indecencies
NZPA

A former Wellington Catholic priest, extradited from Britain after being charged with child sex offences, pleaded guilty to all 21 charges in Upper Hutt District Court this morning.

Alan Woodcock, 56, formerly of Upper Hutt, was accused of indecently assaulting boys at Silverstream, Upper Hutt, and Palmerston North between 1982 and 1985 while working as a teacher.

He had lived in England since the late 1980s before a High Court ruling ordered him to return for trial.

Senior Sergeant Murray Porter, of Upper Hutt police, said Woodcock today admitted six charges of indecently assaulting a boy under 16 and three charges of an indecent act against a boy.

He admitted five charges of indecently assaulting a male and two of committing an indecent act upon a male. Two charges related to his inducing a male to perform an indecent act upon him, which he admitted, as well as three charges of inducing a boy to perform an indecent act.

Woodcock was remanded in custody to appear in Wellington District Court on June 25, for sentencing.

- NZPA