One of the Church of Scientology's most senior figures, Jan Eastgate, has been arrested and charged in Sydney.

She has been charged with perverting the course of justice in relation to allegations she coached an 11-year-old girl to lie to police and community services about the sexual abuse she suffered from her stepfather who was a member of the Church of Scientology.

Eastgate is the international president of the Citizens' Commission on Human Rights, an organisation founded by the Church of Scientology that campaigns against psychiatry.

She was awarded the church's freedom medal for promoting human rights in 1988.

Police allege Eastgate threatened and intimidated Carmen Rainer when she was 11 into providing false statements to police about the sexual abuse she suffered from her stepfather.

Ms Rainer outlined these allegations for the first time on Lateline last year.

Eastgate declined to be interviewed at the time the allegations first aired on Lateline.

In an email to Lateline last year she described the allegations by Carmen and Phoebe Rainer as "egregiously false".

She did not respond to an email sent by Lateline on May 30, 2011.

Eastgate has been granted conditional bail and asked to surrender her passport.

She is due to appear in Downing Centre Court on June 16.