Overview
- A County Court jury found Naotunne Vijitha, 70, guilty of eight counts of sexual penetration of a child under 16 and nine counts of indecent act with a child under 16.
- The offences involved six girls aged about four to 12 between 1994 and 2002 when Vijitha served as head monk at Dhamma Sarana temple in Melbourne.
- Jurors acquitted him on two indecent-act charges, including a final count decided by majority verdict on Friday morning.
- Judge Pardeep Tiwana remanded Vijitha into custody ahead of a December pre-sentence hearing, where victim impact statements are expected.
- Under Victorian law, the convictions carry the prospect of a prison term exceeding a decade.