Geoffrey Daryl Toomey, 38, who was described as a “popular staff member’’, yesterday pleaded guilty in the Bendigo County Court to five charges of gross indecency and three of indecent assault.

Toomey’s victims were aged six and 11 at the time of the assaults.

The court heard that between January and August 1991, Toomey abused one boy several times at his home.

At the time, Toomey was about 20 and the boy about 11. On other occasions, Toomey also played pornographic material to the boy. Crown prosecutor Patrick Southey said the other victim - a boy aged about six - was abused in a similar pattern.

The victim of a former Catholic College Bendigo staff member who pleaded guilty to child sex offences yesterday says he has found healing by bringing the case to court. Speaking outside Bendigo County Court the victim, now an adult, said he felt used as a child.” The whole thing now has been very healing for me - and that’s why I know that if others are able to talk about it and learn, that they can get some healing as well,’’ he said.

The man’s abuser, Geoffrey Daryl Toomey, 38, pleaded guilty yesterday to five counts of gross indecency and three charges of indecent assault.

The charges stem from an array of incidents nearly 20 years ago. The two boys he assaulted were aged about six and 11.

Reading from a statement from the first victim, Mr Southey said the boy had entered a deep depression as a result of the abuse.

“The emotional stress of keeping the dirty secret took an almost immediate toll on my emotional well being . . . I was too young to understand,’’ he said.

“I was in a hold that I could not get out of and I used to cry myself to sleep night after night, wondering when this pain would go away.

“The abuse of this trust and the events that occurred should not be allowed to happen to anyone.

“The reason I brought it into the open was to shine light on it and make sure it doesn’t continue both with Geoff and in the broader community.