A Sri Lankan Buddhist monk, Naotunne Vijitha has been found guilty of sexually abusing six girls at a Melbourne temple over several years.

The County Court of Victoria found 70-year-old Naotunne Vijitha, head monk of the Dhamma Sarana temple in Keysborough, guilty of eight counts of sexually penetrating a child under 16 and nine counts of committing an indecent act with a child.

The offences took place between 1994 and 2002. He was acquitted of one charge, while the jury is still deliberating on another.

The victims, now in their 30s, testified that Vijitha abused his position as a spiritual leader and lured them into his quarters at the temple’s Springvale and Keysborough premises.

The monk was charged in 2023 after several victims came forward to police. He could face more than a decade in prison under Victorian law.