Accused of multiple sexual offences against children former rock-climbing coach faces ACT Court

Former rock-climbing coach Stephen Mitchell, who is accused of multiple sexual assault offences against children, faced the ACT Magistrates Court today.

The 56-year old was first charged in February for acts of indecency involving three girls who were between 11 and 14 at the time when he was coaching local and international junior rock climbers in the 1990s and early 2000s.

With ACT Prosecutors laying an extra nine charges against him as a result of new alleged victims coming forward, Mitchell is now facing 26 charges relating to grooming, sexual conduct with children and engaging in sexual activity with children between 1994 and 2005.

The two further two alleged victims who have given testimonies to ACT Policing's Operation Pyrite investigation into Mitchell's alleged activities brings the total number of alleged victims to seven.

In the ACT Magistrates Court today, Mitchell's lawyer Peter Woodhouse said the brief was large and complex, and that he would need some time to go through it.

With the Court also hearing that some reports were still to be completed, the case has been adjourned until October.

One of the fresh charges comes after ACT Police investigated how Mitchell obtained a security clearance to work for Australian government departments overseas.

ACT Police will allege he obtained his security clearance by making false and misleading statements.

Mitchell remains on bail, first allowed at his first appearance in Court earlier this year.

Mitchell coached a number of champion junior rock climbers in Canberra from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, and, for a time, was employed by the Australian Institute of Sport.

In the early 2000s, he was employed by the ACT Police Citizens Youth Club (PCYC) in a position funded by the Australian Federal Police.

In the mid-2000s he went on to be employed for a number of years by Sport Climbing Australia, rock climbing's governing body.

Image credit Shutterstock.