'Sex predator' bailed, DPP to appeal

FIRST ON 7: Crown prosecutors will challenge a Beenleigh Magistrate's decision to give bail to a child sex predator on Wednesday.

The man, described by police as "one of the worst serial child sex offenders known to them", has been convicted of child sex offences in two states over three decades.

Court documents also reveal police described the man as a predator who met his victims by befriending their families.

The information is contained in an application for a judicial review lodged by the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions in the Brisbane Supreme Court last week.

The matter will be heard tomorrow with the DPP applying to set aside the decision of Acting Magistrate Quinlan to grant bail to the man and remand him in custody.

The court documents reveal the man, 49, was released from the Beenleigh Magistrates Court on June 25 after he was charged with child sex offences against two sisters, aged 5 and 12.

He had allegedly met the girls after befriending their mother who lived near one of his properties.

The documents include the police objection to bail affidavit, which was tendered to the court.

The bail objection reveals the accused was first convicted of a child sex offence when he was 16-years-old in 1980 and then again the following year while living in Victoria.

Between 1989 and 1993 while living in NSW, he was charged with five counts of indecent assault. The charges were later dropped.

For the next 18 years, until 2010, he was convicted of 32 crimes involving children ranging from indecent treatment, procuring, taking indecent photographs of a child and possession of a photo depicting child abuse.

In 1997, the defendant was convicted of 12 child sex offences and given a sentence deemed inadequate by Queensland's then Attorney-General. He successfully appealed the sentenced resulting in the defendant being given a head sentence of 18 months in jail.

Last month on June 22, the mother of two girls complained to police that her five-year-old daughter had made "certain disclosures" about the defendant.

Police interviewed both girls who allegedly told investigators of incidents going back a month.

The alleged offences included the defendant taking an indecent photograph of the five-year-old and indecent treatment of the 12-year-old.

The defendant declined to be interviewed and was charged with two counts of indecent treatment of children under 12 and taking an indecent photograph of a child under 12.

In the objection to bail affidavit, police said the defendant was charged with serious child sex offences that carried a life sentence as a circumstance of aggravation was attached given the age of the alleged victims.

"The defendant has preyed upon young children in the community who are unable to protect themselves and by their nature are trusting. The defendant has breached their trust," wrote Logan child protection detective Jo-Ann McConnell in the bail submission.

"Detectives would respectfully submit that the defendant is a proven prolific child sex offender. He commenced his sexual offending at 16 years of age in Victoria, moving to NSW and committing further sex offences, before settling in Queensland," wrote Detective McConnell.

Between 1992 and 2010, the defendant was convicted of 32 child sex offences in Queensland, many with the circumstance of aggravation.

He also was convicted of breaching an intensive correction order and a breach of a suspended sentence.

"Detectives would submit that in their experience, the defendant is one of the worst serial child sex offenders known to them," wrote Det McConnell.

Police also submitted that it was apparent the defendant continues to re-offend once released into the community after being incarcerated.

"It is clear that the defendant has no intention of ceasing his offending behaviour and that incarceration offers no deterrent to him. Detectives would submit that the defendant poses an enormous and unacceptable risk to the community if released on bail. His behaviour is considered predatory, befriending families and offending against their children," Det McConnell said.

Transcripts of the June 25 hearing show the police prosecutor told the court his objection to bail related to three risks – the defendant’s unacceptable risk of offending, endangering the safety or welfare of the victims and interference with the witness.

The police prosecutor also noted the defendant had allegedly committed the crimes while he was on a suspended sentence for similar offences.

The man’s solicitor argued his client was married with a full-time job as a maintenance manager, and had no history of breaching bail.

His solicitor submitted his client be released on conditional bail including he not approach the alleged victims or their home.

The Magistrate ruled that the defendant’s history was "not a good history" but the offences did not involved violence and if the offences were of a more serious nature, "involving penetration by the male sexual organ", that would be classed as being a "higher end of the scale".

Mr Quinlan said the defendant had no breach of bail history and he would release him with special conditions.

The defendant was ordered to report to Ipswich police three times a week, reside at his home, not approach any witnesses and banned from going within 100 metres of the alleged victim's home.

Mr Quinlan also banned the accused from working at any job site where children attended.

The matter will be heard tomorrow in the Brisbane Supreme Court.