PREDATOR’S VISA AXED

JAFFARI CLOSER TO DEPORTATION:

A MAN convicted of child sex offences in Geelong has had his protection visa cancelled by the Federal Government, a court has heard.

Immigration officers visited Ali Jaffari, in custody over an alleged child porn offence, on Friday after he was deemed a “significant risk” to the community.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said new information, together with Jaffari’s previous behaviour, had given him sufficient grounds to cancel the permanent protection visa.

“Like any decision, my decision to cancel Mr Jaffari’s visa could still be subject to challenge in the courts,” he said.

“This has been a frustrating case for the community that has once again highlighted weaknesses in our current federal laws on visa cancellation, which still may yet prove ineffective in this case.”

Mr Morrison said he was finalising reforms to the character test in the Migration Act to provide greater protections to the community.

The visa cancellation means that even if Jaffari’s bail application before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court succeeds, he will be placed in immigration detention.

The bail hearing stalled yesterday because an interpreter could not be found for the Afghan refugee. The case was then adjourned to allow a representative of the Department of Immigration to give evidence today.

Jaffari has allegedly been spotted loitering around children in recent weeks and was allegedly caught with a laptop with “violent” sexual images of underage boys and girls on it.

He was described as “likely to reoffend” by police in court last week. The 36-year-old is charged with accessing child pornography.

On April 4, detectives found Jaffari in a public library sitting alone at his laptop.

Jaffari quickly closed the computer and told police he was there for the free Wi-Fi.

But at his bail hearing, the court was told he subsequently admitted to Corrections Victoria staff he viewed violent images of teenage boys and girls on his laptop for one to three hours on a daily basis.

The court was also told Jaffari was convicted and placed on the sex offenders register for 15 years over an assault of a boy at Geelong’s Eastern Beach last August.

Detective Sergeant Tim Moreland pleaded with the court not to grant bail on Friday and described Jaffari as a “risk to the community”.

He told the court Jaffari had difficulty in understanding that viewing child porn was against the law.