Edward Dowlan, now known as Ted Bales, pleads guilty to abusing former Warrnambool students

Edward Dowlan, who now goes by Ted Bales, was imprisoned for nearly a decade in 1996 for offending against 11 students, and for six years in 2015 after he admitted the abuse of another 20 students.

On Thursday he pleaded guilty to more than 30 new charges related to the abuse of 19 boys, including three from Warrnambool, between 1971 and 1988.

The County Court of Victoria heard the offending occured when Dowlan was aged between 21 and 38 and that he abused his position as a teacher to indecently assault his victims.

All of the victims were under 16, some as young as eight.

The court heard the offending happened in Warrnambool, Ballarat, Geelong, Anglesea and Melbourne.

Seven of the new charges related to the three former Warrnambool students who attended Christian Brother's College between 1975 and 1976, when Dowlan was employed to teach years seven and eight.

In court documents obtained by The Standard, it was revealed that Dowlan often glared at students while they were naked in the school change rooms.

He repeatedly assaulted two victims at Christian Brother's College while another was preyed upon by their teacher during an overnight school camp at Ballarat's St Patrick's College gymnasium.

That victim later disclosed the incident in the gymnasium during a private session held with the Royal Commission.

For one victim, the abuse continued at the school until he told Dowlan that if he touched him again he would "belt him up".

Another victim was repeatedly asked to meet Dowlan on campus on a Saturday and when he didn't attend, he was later physically disciplined with a leather strap.

That victim moved to another school the following year and he never saw Dowlan again.

Formal statements were made between August 2016 and August 2018.

Dowlan stopped teaching in September 1993 and was dispensed from the Congregation of The Christian Brothers on November 25, 2008.

During a plea hearing on Friday, crown prosecutor Brett Sonnet said the maximum penalty for indecent assault was five years' imprisonment, as that was the penalty at the time of the offending between 1971 and 1988.

"That provides a constraint in this matter," he said.

"The maximum penalty for these types of offences has significantly increased over the years, but that increase does not apply in this sentencing exercise."

Mr Sonnet said the offending was 'cruel, wicked, persistent, open and brazen'.

"Your Honour is now is in a position to step back and look at the overall offending he has engaged in over a significant period of time. The number of victims now totals 50," he said.

"The overall offending involves a pattern of behaviour in which he sough to gratify his own sexual desires at the expense and welfare of his students.

"It was disgraceful behaviour for a teacher and was accompanied by corporal punishment which was a device used by the accused man to commit further sexual acts."

Mr Sonnet said the offending involved a serious breach of trust and a high degree of premeditation.

The case was adjourned for sentencing. Dowlan will remain in custody.

He is currently serving the 2015-imposed sentence which is due to expire on February 27, 2023.

Affected by this story? There is help available.

You can phone the South Western Centre Against Sexual Assault, in Warrnambool, on 5564 4144, or free-call the crisis care line 24 hours on 1800 806 292.

You can also call Lifeline on 13 11 14, the Blue Knot Foundation on 1300 657 380, or Relationships Australia on 1300 364 277.