Sex offender not playing by rules

THE Sex Offenders Register was set up to protect children and “reportable offenders”, who failed to comply with its strict conditions, committed a serious offence, a magistrate has told a Toowoomba man.

Among the obligations required by the legislation, reportable offenders must report to police within 14 days any change of employment or living circumstances including if they are residing in a house with children.

Matthew James Shorter, 24, was a reportable offender under the Act and was signed up to reporting obligations in 2010, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

Police prosecutor Greg McIntyre said an off-duty police officer had seen Shorter with a woman and a young girl at a Toowoomba shopping centre on December 4 last year.

Police then attended Shorter’s address where a woman told officers the defendant had been living with her and her young daughter for about two years.

Mr McIntyre told the court the woman had also since had a child to the defendant.

Police also found Shorter had been working for a company in Toowoomba for some months, but there was no record he had reported that fact to police, he said.

During an interview with police, Shorter made full admissions and he pleaded guilty yesterday to three counts of failing to comply with reporting obligations.

His solicitor David Burns said his client offered no excuse for not reporting his change of circumstances but he had been worried it might cause his family to be separated.

His client’s partner, who was in court supporting him, was due to give birth to the couple’s second child, he said.

His client instructed he had at no time had unsupervised contact with the children and he had since moved out of the family home.

The Department of Child Safety had also become involved and a safety plan was in place to ensure Shorter only had supervised time with the children, Mr Burns said.

Since his release from prison some time ago, his client had been trying to stabilise his life and was now in a supportive relationship and had good employment, Mr Burns submitted.

Magistrate Bruce Schemioneck noted these three offences took to seven the total number of times Shorter had breached his reporting obligations.

He sentenced Shorter to six months jail but ordered he be released on parole immediately.

“If you breach your parole, you will go straight into custody,” Mr Schemioneck warned him.