Phuket expat charged in Australia over child sex offences

PHUKET: Peter Harris, a retired Australian school principal well known in Phuket for his deep involvement in local community charity projects, has been arrested in Australia on child sex offences allegedly committed as far back as the 1970s an ’80s.

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By The Phuket News

Thursday 31 October 2019, 02:30PM

Dr Peter Harris at an event at held at Koh Siray School, east of Phuket Town, in March last year for the handing over of B740,000 from Australian Direct AID Bangkok for its 'Clean Water, Clean Hands, Clean Klong' project. Photo: The Phuket News

Harris, now 78, was arrested Tuesday night last week (Oct 22) while attempting to board a flight at Melbourne Airport, a police spokesperson confirmed to Australia newspaper The Age. (See report here.)

Dr Harris faces five charges, including assaults in East Melbourne, Maryborough and Castlemaine in the Australian state of Victoria between 1975 and 1983, noted the report.

The charges include gross indecency with a male, two counts of indecent assault on a male person, indecent assault, and knowingly possessing child abuse material, noted the initial report of his arrest. (See here.)

Harris was founding principal of Billanook College in Mooroolbark in Melbourne's outer-east, which opened in 1980. He left the school in 1996.

Before his position at Billanook College, he was founding principal at Maryborough Christian Community College, now known as Highview College, near Bendigo, which opened in 1974, explained The Age report.

Dr Harris was also a teacher at prestigious Melbourne private school Haileybury College in Keysborough from 1967 until 1973. He was a commerce teacher, librarian, hockey coach and boarding house master, the report added.

Harris was bailed to appear at Bendigo Magistrates Court on Tuesday this week (Oct 29).

The outcome of that court appearance has yet to be reported.

Dr Harris was deeply involved in many local community projects, including a project sponsored by the Australian Government to revitalise a village on Koh Siray, on the east side of Phuket Town, and help establish the kindergarten as a sustainable centre with fresh drinking water and a garden.

The village-focused project is part of a wider project sponsored by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade which aims to transform Koh Siray into a self-sustained ecosystem, reduce waste to zero, break the poverty cycle by em­powering local waste management and increase commercial gain by creating products to sell in local markets. (See story here.)