A FORMER Warrnambool priest has been committed to stand trial on nine historic sex charges allegedly involving schoolboys.
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Paul David Ryan, 69, now of Western Australia, appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates Court last week.
The case has been adjourned for further hearing in the Melbourne County Court on April 5.
Mr Ryan has been charged with a one count each of attempted indecent assault and rape, two counts of sexual penetration and five indecent assaults allegedly committed in Warrnambool, Ararat and Lower Plenty in the early to mid 1980s.
The case has been investigated during the past two years based largely on information revealed during the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
In December 2015, the commission was told the Vatican had defrocked Mr Ryan from the priesthood almost a decade after the Ballarat diocese requested he be removed.
Father Ryan served as a priest in numerous parishes in the Ballarat diocese including Warrnambool, Ballarat, Terang and Ararat.
It is understood the charges relate to allegations involving the complainants when they were students at Warrnambool's Christian Brothers College during the 1980s.
Father Ryan also performed the role of school chaplain at CBC and went on school camping trips.
