Townsville Bulletin

Abuser freed from custody

- SHAYLA BULLOCH

A MAN with a dark criminal history filled with child abuse and death has been released from custody months after breaching a strict order to stay away from children.

Supreme Court of Queensland documents stated the 53year-old man would be released from custody, pending a final hearing, under doctor’s orders that he was a low risk of reoffendin­g.

The man had a horrific history of sexual offending against young girls, including his daughter’s friend and a stranger he trapped in a public toilet.

He was also sentenced to 10 years’ jail for the manslaught­er of his child in 1986.

He served many years in jail but was released on a strict supervisio­n order in 2016.

Late last year he breached that order when he was caught with child exploitati­on material on a device and when he started contacting his 10-yearold daughter over social media.

In December last year, police uncovered that the man had multiple incidents of contact with a six-year-old girl, whose mother worked at the same place as the man.

Court documents state the interactio­n was minor, with the man often greeting the young girl and delivering her meals at his workplace where he was a chef.

Police also found that he was having contact with his 10year-old daughter through Snapchat and text message for about six months.

The girl’s mother knew about the contact, despite the Department of Child safety banning any contact with the girl.

His Currajong psychologi­st said the man posed a “moderate” risk of reoffendin­g, but was “anxious” about the potential of more charges surfacing from other victims.

“It would appear that he is currently fearful of being charged with historical offences reported by his step children, possible ongoing contact with his 10-year-old daughter, and ongoing contact with a female child in his current workplace,” she said.

The psychologi­st stated the man had been sexually abused by a woman when he was about seven years old.

Doctor Scott Harden, a very experience­d psychiatri­st in the area of forensic risk assessment, stated he met the criteria for paedophili­a.

Dr Harden stated the man had deviant sexual arousal for girls who were about seven years old with blonde hair.

Despite some concerns, court documents state the judge found he could be released on a supervisio­n order under “exceptiona­l circumstan­ces”, stating the man’s contravent­ions did not involve any sexual offending.

He was released on a five year supervisio­n order pending final determinat­ion of the contravent­ion proceeding­s.

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