A former social worker at a Sydney homeless shelter for children is behind bars after being charged with sexually abusing two young boys who sought refuge there during the 1980s.
Grantley Leroy Morris, 67, allegedly worked as a carer at the Homeless Children's Association at Darlinghurst, in Sydney's red light district, in the early 1980s.
The shelter provided refuge for hundreds of homeless children when it operated between 1981 and 1983 but police allege many children were sexually abused during their stay.
Court documents allege Morris raped and indecently assaulted two boys at the shelter, at the Wynyard Hotel in Sydney's CBD and the University Hall Hotel in Glebe.
Detectives from the sex abuse squad charged the Parramatta resident on Tuesday with seven offences including two counts of sexual assault, four counts of indecent assault and one count of possessing and disseminating child pornography.
Police confirmed former prime minister Bob Hawke was once a board member of the organisation, along with other prominent Australians.
Police hope to interview them as part of their investigation, but there is no suggestion any board or council members were involved in the alleged abuse.
According to court documents, Morris met with one of his alleged victims last month for coffee in Parramatta.
At that meeting, he allegedly passed on a copy of a naked photo taken around 1982 of his other alleged victim as a child, court documents allege.
Morris' matter was mentioned briefly in Parramatta Local Court, when his lawyer indicated Morris would apply for bail on Wednesday.
Sex abuse squad commander John Kerlatec said Tuesday's arrest may be the first of others associated with the homeless shelter.
"Further arrests are highly likely," detective superintendent Kerlatec told reporters in Sydney.
"Certainly, we can't discount the fact there are more victims."
He said the alleged victims have provided a "voluminous" amount of information.
"These children were vulnerable, and sadly they were abused," Det Supt Kerlatec said.
"If we can encourage other victims to come forward ... we'd certainly be keen to talk to those people."
Anyone with information about shelter is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
