Former Chief Executive of Harvest Rain Theatre Company faces multiple abuse charges

The identity of the Brisbane theatre producer charged with numerous child and adult sex offences has been confirmed as former Harvest Rain Theatre Company Chief Executive, Timothy O’Connor.

O’Connor faced a two-day committal hearing in December in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on nearly 60 fraud and child and adult sexual offences. The alleged victims were aged between 12 and 29.

The Harvest Rain Group was one of Australia’s largest non-professional theatre companies and closed after O’Connor’s arrest. The company’s apparent success allowed for multi-million dollar arena productions.

O’Connor was originally arrested and charged by police in November 2022 after a police investigation of Operation Uniform Cartograph allegedly uncovered a prolonged history of the Chief Executive abusing boys and men. The court heard police complaints against O'Connor were made as early as 2017 but Operation Uniform Cartograph was only established after another complainant came forward in mid-2022.

However, due to Queensland’s Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 1978, which prohibits premature publication of any accused person’s name or place of employment, O’Connor’s name was unable to be released at the time.

The committal hearing resolved to dismiss several charges, but O’Connor is expected to face the remaining 48 charges in court proceedings.