More jail for child predator

AUSTRALIA’S worst paedophile priest will spend an extra three years behind bars after admitting to more historic sex crimes, including offences that occurred in Apollo Bay.

Gerald Ridsdale, 85, will now be 90 before he is eligible for parole, after spending more than a quarter of a century imprisoned. His non-parole period has been extended from April 2022 to 2025.

The child predator last month pleaded guilty to an additional 10 counts of indecent assault and four of buggery against four boys in the 1970s.

The total number of children he abused is now just shy of 70 victims, aged between seven and 16. The latest cases of abuse to come to light occurred at Warrnambool, Apollo Bay, Inglewood, Goroke and Edenhope.

The court heard Ridsdale molested one of the victims while he took his confession in the child’s family home.

Another young boy was indecently assaulted while the convicted paedophile read him the bible. The victim told the court at a plea hearing last month he has never learnt to read because of the trauma associated with it.

A third young boy was violently attacked after the priest plied him with beer on a weekend trip to Apollo Bay.

One victim told the court: “I am single, alone, broke, drunk, depressed, embarrassed, forgetful, unemployed, wondering how I will get through tomorrow”.

County Court Judge Gerard Mullaly labelled the crimes “degrading and abhorrent” and said the fact some of the assaults took place under the guise of religious teaching or confession taking added “a bewildering aspect to your offending and breach of trust”.

“They were vulnerable children and you simply used them and violated them for your perverse vile sexual gratification,” Judge Mullaly said.

Ridsdale has been in prison since 1994, with multiple additional prosecutions increasing his jail term.

In handing down his total effective sentence of 10 years — increasing his global sentence to 36 years with a minimum of 31 years served — Judge Mullaly acknowledged it was more likely Ridsdale would die behind bars.

His Honour said he had given careful consideration to calls from Ridsdale’s defence lawyer, Tim Marsh, not to increase the non-parole term for the ailing old man who had since shown insight and remorse into his offending.

But Judge Mullaly ultimately ruled that would inadequately address the seriousness of Ridsdale’s crimes.

“I remain firmly of the view that you must be further punished,” Judge Mullaly said.

“But (it must be) moderate because of your age, medical conditions and sentences you are serving.”