Child rapist’s move plan changed
Corrections has backed down from re-homing one of the country’s worst child sex offenders a kilometre away from a primary school.
On Wednesday, The Press revealed Corrections had earmarked a property to accommodate for up to four offenders, one of whom was convicted child rapist Lloyd Alexander McIntosh, on a site close to Harewood School in the city’s northwest.
In 2004, McIntosh became the first person to be subject to a
10-year extended supervision order (ESO).
The paedophile’s crimes include unlawful sexual connection with a
23-month-old baby and raping a 6-year-old child. He has to take drugs to control his sex drive. Harewood School notified its community but neighbours of the proposed property – one of whom shares a boundary with it – claimed they had not received the community notification Corrections delivered.
Maryanne Bhatnagar, who lives on the same street as the house, said she was given ‘‘no indication’’ how close the property was to her own.
‘‘My oldest is 10 and I let her walk the dog around the block. I said to Corrections, ‘if my child walks down [our street], is she going to be safe?’ They said ‘I can’t tell you what to do with your own child’.’’
Corrections southern regional commissioner Ben Clark said staff had spoken to ‘‘a number of people’’ yesterday and Corrections remained ‘‘committed to ongoing engagement with our community’’.