Robert 'Locky' Eccles ordered to stand trial

Mr Eccles, 70, a Koori court elder and long-time football umpire, faced a committal hearing in Geelong Magistrates Court on Monday, August 28.

Magistrate Malcolm Thomas directed the man to stand trial and ordered he appear in Melbourne County Court on September 25 for a directions hearing.

Mr Eccles was charged with child sex offences by detectives from the Warrnambool-based sex offences and child abuse investigation team.

He was charged in February with six offences related to a male complainant, which allegedly happened in about 2012 and 2013.

The committal hearing was initially set down for three days from August 28 but Mr Eccles was directed to stand trial that afternoon.

The court was closed to the media for most of the day as the complainant gave evidence.

Mr Eccles had his case moved to the Geelong court in May after a magistrate found it was not appropriate the Warrnambool court to be a venue for hearings other than administrative hearings because of Mr Eccles' role with the Koori court.

Police previously told The Standard the charges included three counts of indecent act with a child aged 16 under care, supervision or authority and three counts of sexual penetration of a child aged 16 under care, supervision or authority.

The Gunditjmara elder previously worked as an Indigenous language educator and sat on Warrnambool's Koori court for more than six years.

He was a highly regarded football umpire with the Warrnambool and District Football Umpires Association.

The elder received a Victorian Senior of the Year volunteer award for his leadership and passion for sport just days before the initial charges were laid against him last year.

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