Monster walks free

Jehovah’s Witness groomed and abused young girls

A MONSTER paedophile, who preyed on young girls through his Cairns Jehovah’s Witness congregation, has walked free after only spending a year and a half in jail.

Ronald Leslie Wollaston groomed and then horrifically abused two girls over 10 years.

His vile conduct, revealed in excruciating detail in the Cairns District Court, involved numerous counts of actual sex against one of the victims.

She was 11 years old when Wollaston, then 27 and a father, began conditioning her to sexual contact claiming it to be love.

The disgraceful behaviour included defiling her over five years at his Edmonton home, at a motel in Sheridan St and while on a trip away.

Crown Prosecutor Gelma Meoli said when she put a stop to it, he cried and told her he loved her.

When he was 36 he’d moved onto his second victim, who was 12 years old. He also coaxed and groomed her on three occasions including in an Innisfail hotel while his family was asleep in the same room.

She told her mother and it resulted in Wollaston being expelled from the congregation in what is called a disfellowship.

“After some time and some counselling the defendant was allowed to rejoin,” Ms Meoli said.

In 2017 Wollaston was convicted for touching a child two years earlier when he was 62 – 50 years older than his victim.

Yesterday the now 66year-old was sentenced for 28 counts of indecent treatment of a child between 1980 and 1990. At the time the charge of unlawful carnal knowledge did not exist and the maximum penalty ranges for his offending was five to seven years.

Defence barrister Josh Trevino said his client must be penalised under the sen- tencing practices that applied at the time. “He told me that he truly regrets the suffering he’s caused,” Mr Trevino said, adding that Wollaston had also been abused as a child.

Wollaston, who is diagnosed with paedophilic disorder, has spent 500 days in custody. He was given a suspended four-year jail term and released on three years’ probation. He must take part in medical, psychiatric and psychological treatment.

He will also be a registered child sex offender.