Theatre boss to stand trial on sex offences charges

Timothy O'Connor will stand trial in the Brisbane District Court on sex assault charges. (Rex Martinich/AAP PHOTOS)

The former head of a large theatre group has been committed to stand trial on 48 charges including alleged sex offences against children and adults.

Timothy Noel O’Connor, 43, once the chief executive of the now-defunct Harvest Rain Theatre Company, faced Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday for a decision on whether there was sufficient evidence against him.

O'Connor sat in the courtroom's public gallery as Magistrate Lewis Shillito handed down his decision.

Harvest Rain closed in November 2022 after rising over almost 40 years from a small amateur group in Brisbane to touring nationally while performing Broadway musicals.

Timothy O’Connor faces 48 charges, including alleged sex offences against children and adults.

During committal hearings this week, O’Connor had challenged 15 charges of indecent treatment of a child, claiming the male alleged victim's testimony in court had contradicted their prior written statement.

Mr Shillito on Friday found O'Connor had no case to answer on 10 of those charges dating from 2004 to 2006, some of which included allegations of offending in an inner Brisbane unit, and they were dismissed.

"(The alleged victim's testimony) has led to his account of those matters being rendered so unreliable that no reasonable tribunal would safely convict," Mr Shillito said.

He said five other charges involving the same alleged victim could proceed to trial as his testimony was not discredited and could have been confused by some questions while on the witness stand.

O'Connor was ordered to stand trial in the Brisbane District Court on a date to be fixed on 32 counts of indecent treatment of a child under 16, nine counts of sexual assault, four counts of common assault as well as fraud charges.

"I am of the opinion that the evidence is sufficient to go on trial for those offences," Mr Shillito said.

O'Connor declined to enter a plea and said "no, Your Honour," when asked by Mr Shillito if he wanted to say anything further in relation to the charges.

The sexual offence charges involved alleged incidents dating between 2001 and 2020 and a total of seven male alleged victims.

O'Connor's bail was continued and he did not comment as he left court.

Lifeline 13 11 14

Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)

1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)

National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

What is AAPNews?

For the first time, Australian Associated Press is delivering news straight to the consumer.

No ads. No spin. News straight-up.

Not only do you get to enjoy high-quality news delivered straight to your desktop or device, you do so in the knowledge you are supporting media diversity in Australia.

AAP Is Australia’s only independent newswire service, free from political and commercial influence, producing fact-based public interest journalism across a range of topics including politics, courts, sport, finance and entertainment.

What is AAPNews?
The Morning Wire

Wake up to AAPNews’ morning news bulletin delivered straight to your inbox or mobile device, bringing you up to speed with all that has happened overnight at home and abroad, as well as setting you up what the day has in store.

AAPNews Morning Wire
AAPNews Breaking News
Breaking News

Be the first to know when major breaking news happens.


Notifications will be sent to your device whenever a big story breaks, ensuring you are never in the dark when the talking points happen.

Focused Content

Enjoy the best of AAP’s specialised Topics in Focus. AAP has reporters dedicated to bringing you hard news and feature content across a range of specialised topics including Environment, Agriculture, Future Economies, Arts and Refugee Issues.

AAPNews Focussed Content
Subscription Plans

Choose the plan that best fits your needs. AAPNews offers two basic subscriptions, all billed monthly.

Once you sign up, you will have seven days to test out the service before being billed.

AAPNews Full Access Plan
Full Access
AU$10
  • Enjoy all that AAPNews has to offer
  • Access to breaking news notifications and bulletins
  • Includes access to all AAPNews’ specialised topics
Join Now
AAPNews Student Access Plan
Student Access
AU$5
  • Gain access via a verified student email account
  • Enjoy all the benefits of the ‘Full Access’ plan at a reduced rate
  • Subscription renews each month
Join Now
AAPNews Annual Access Plan
Annual Access
AU$99
  • All the benefits of the 'Full Access' subscription at a discounted rate
  • Subscription automatically renews after 12 months
Join Now

AAPNews also offers enterprise deals for businesses so you can provide an AAPNews account for your team, organisation or customers. Click here to contact AAP to sign-up your business today.

SEVEN DAYS FREE
Download the app
Download AAPNews on the App StoreDownload AAPNews on the Google Play Store