Warrnambool's Rodney Ryan committed to stand trial in county court

Rodney Ryan, 55, did not appear in Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Tuesday this week for what was expected to be a three-day committal hearing.

The court was told then Mr Ryan had been unable to attend due to an injury to his ribs and a medical certificate was provided.

The committal hearing was altered to a hand-up brief and Mr Ryan was ordered to appear in person at the Warrnambool court on Friday to go through that process.

He appeared wearing a dark suit, white shirt and dark tie, had his hands clasped, looked down and in discomfort for much of the hearing.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said there was sufficient evidence for Mr Ryan to be committed to stand trial.

Mr Ryan then entered not guilty pleas to all 39 charges.

The charges include multiple counts of sexual penetration of a child aged under 16 years as well as charges of committing an indecent act with a child aged under 16, sexual assault, directing sexual activity towards a person and a count of kidnapping.

When asked by the magistrate for an estimate of the trial length, Office Of Public Prosecutions lawyer Oliver Cameron said it was estimated a trial would take 10 days.

It's understood the police brief of evidence consists of 1000 pages.

Mr Ryan also successfully applied for a bail variation.

He now has to report to Kyneton police on Mondays and Thursday, not the three times a week he was previously required to do.

The magistrate extended Mr Ryan's bail until a directions hearing in the Melbourne County Court at 9am on November 13.

He noted Mr Ryan had entered pleas of not guilty.

Trial bail was fixed with a $5000 surety, the reporting conditions include Mr Ryan has to live in Daylesford, not contact witnesses and comply with other court orders.

Mr Ryan was charged in May 2022 with assault, kidnapping, sexual penetration of a child aged under 16 years and two counts of sexual penetration of someone aged under 18.

The charges are historic and relate to a then 15-year-old girl.

Then in June last year police charged Mr Ryan with allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice and intimidating a witness.

Further charges were then filed in August which allegedly involved three additional complainants dating back to 2015.

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