A former Maitland massage therapist accused of sexually touching and indecently assaulting multiple people, including a 12-year-old, has been committed for trial.
Mervyn Arthur Fullford, 63, faces 22 charges including indecent assault of a person under 16, sexual touching of another person without consent and assault with an act of indecency. Three charges relate to the alleged indecent assault of children, aged 12, 14 and 15.
Fourteen other charges were withdrawn by the Crown, including 10 aggravated sexual touching without consent charges and another four for aggravated indecent assault.
Mr Fullford, who appeared briefly in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday morning, is accused of touching numerous alleged victims on the vagina or breasts.
The alleged offences were reported to have occurred between September 2013 and February last year.
Mr Fullford, a former massage therapist for the Maitland Pickers Rugby League Club, was first arrested on February 21, 2020 on two counts of sexual touching in relation to alleged incidents in March 2019 and February 2020, before further charges were laid.
He has maintained a plea of not guilty throughout the proceedings and remains on bail.
Mr Fullford is due to appear before Newcastle District Court on March 25.
