Support from family, community and the judicial process along with the telling of traumatic stories that have long lain hidden are the critical steps, according to one survivor, as another notorious paedophile is sentenced to more jail time.

Another chapter closes with the sentence of former Christian Brother Edward Dowlan to seven-and-a-half years' imprisonment, with a four-year and nine-month non-parole period, meaning he could die in jail.

Forty-eight years ago, Dowlan changed a 12-year-old boy's life forever when he rubbed his hands over his body and kissed his head and neck, saying he wanted to "show some love" as a teacher at his school.

The indecent assault happened twice to the St Patrick's College student in 1974, once while his teacher was measuring his army cadets uniform and once while he was on school camp.

That young boy is now a man who continues to carry the trauma buried deep inside and hidden from most who know him, until he decided to speak out to help others.

He is one of 19 men who made reports to police between 2016 and 2021 about abuse they were victim to as a child which they say "robbed" them of a "normal life".

The survivor cried when Dowlan, who now goes by the name Ted Bales, pleaded guilty to 33 charges of indecent assault, confirming the abuse that was burnt into his mind "really did happen".

Speaking to The Courier on Thursday afternoon, he said he had a "funny feeling" after Dowlan's sentencing.

"I don't know whether it is a feeling of relaxation, excitement or disappointment. It is everything rolled into one," he said.

"It has taken a long time for all of this to get to where it was today."

The survivor first made a statement to police about Dowlan's abuse of him as a child in 2017.

He said it 'took a lot to get to that point'.

"I hid it all inside. It was only close family that knew what went on and only one other personal friend that I had even told," he said.

"The only reason I came forward was to help the survivors or victims or whatever you want to call us, to help their cases. If I could help in any way I wanted to because I knew what it felt like."

The statement to police in 2017 came after he was interviewed for the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

He said the support of his family and the Centre Against Sexual Assault (CASA) helped him through the difficult process, which included many years of further police investigations and numerous court hearings.

"It has been very emotional, it brought a lot of the history back," he said.

"There has been times I have been in tears, thought some terrible thoughts and had bad feelings in the tummy.

"I have felt like 'was it real?' Then he admitted it, he accepted he was guilty, it brought it all out and it was real, it did happen."

The survivor wrote a victim impact statement that was read to the court during Dowlan's plea hearing in January.

He wrote: "I always remember my first year at St Patrick's College under the accused.

"I was young, naive and trusting of people who were supposed to be my carers."

The survivor told the court through his statement he thought the incidents were his fault and he was constantly reminded of those 'abusive times' every time he saw a 'loud fence' or heard news on the topic.

"I withdrew into myself after these incidents... I left school early.... I drink too much so I can sleep better.

"I often feel distressed by what took place. My wife encouraged me to seek help. CASA has helped me regain belief in myself... I have learnt how to control my outbursts.

"When he pleaded guilty it was like a weight had been lifted off me because he acknowledged what he did was wrong."

The survivor said writing his victim impact statement was an emotional process.

"I realised what I had been through and what he did, what effect it had on my life," he said.

"Hearing all the other victim impact statements, they were all very similar. You could see a pattern with his abuse.

"He used to punish us and then he would love us in ways he wanted to love us, not in ways we wanted."

He said the conclusion of the case helped put what happened "to bed" but he would still carry it "for life".

"Things that hurt you the most you try to bury way back in your mind to keep you going," he said.

"Those people that can't, they are the ones who have suicided and leave behind sadness for their loved ones and I really feel for them.

"You have to be really strong to put it behind you. CASA helped me tremendously, my wife, my family, my kids, helped me tremendously.

"My siblings don't really know too much, I kept it from them and my professional life to exist. Otherwise maybe I would have been down the sad path."

The man's wife said her husband told her about the abuse from the start of their relationship.

"I have known for 30-odd years but I could see it was eating away at him more and more," she said.

"That is when I thought I better intervene and have had to push him to get help which is probably the best thing I have ever done."

The survivor had been brought up in a religious family.

Part of his anger and frustration is at the Catholic Church for hiding the abuse.

"We were only young boys then, we didn't know any different," he said.

"We trusted them and they were in places of high importance and we worshiped his existence.

"I am upset that the church kept it hidden and kept denying it went on. When we all spoke up at the time, all of a sudden he moved on to somewhere else.

"As I know now with what has gone on in the court he would just move on and find some other poor child and do his bad deeds to them. That is what I am disappointed in.

"He also showed no remorse, so I have got no sympathy for him. The judge made that clear he showed no remorse for his actions."

The survivor said there was always a "fear in the background" for his children, who they decided not to send to Catholic primary schools, but did in secondary school.

For him, speaking out is not about compensation.

"It is about support for all those who have been there and to let them know they are not alone," he said.

"It is to be a voice for those who have taken their lives to ensure they are not forgotten. Because they can't speak out now unfortunately."

The man thanks CASA and the police taskforce that led the investigation, the royal commission and his family for helping him through the process.

Dowlan committed a string of offending against 18 other boys at East Melbourne, Geelong, Anglesea and Warrnambool over 17 years.

He has been convicted for abusing 50 boys in total over his lifetime.

He was already serving a sentence previously imposed at court in 2015 and was also sentenced to imprisonment in 1997.

Affected by this story? Phone Ballarat Centre Against Sexual Assault, 5320 3933, or free-call the 24 hour line on 1800 806 292. Or phone Lifeline, 13 11 14, Blue Knot Foundation,1300 657 380, or Relationships Australia, 1300 364 277.