Child sex fiend spared more jail
A "brazen" child sex offender has been spared more time behind bars after a District Court judge was told he would not be able to get into a treatment program in prison for a year.
Sentencing Colin Alan Pitt this week, Judge John Staude said it was an exceptional case because there was no prospect the 25-year-old would get into a sex offender treatment program while serving an appropriate jail sentence.
Pitt pleaded guilty to six counts of indecently dealing with a child under the age of 13.
The offences were committed against two girls aged six and eight at the Bayswater Waves and Leisure Centre early last year.
The victims were in a whirlpool when Pitt indecently touched them outside their bathers.
Pitt has previous convictions for child sex offences and was sentenced to 30 months jail in June 2011.
He has spent a year in custody on the latest offences but treatment programs are not available for prisoners on remand. A psychological report said Pitt posed a "very high risk" of committing similar offences if he did not receive treatment.
The court was told that Pitt had expressed a "strong motivation" to attend programs.
But Judge Staude said a report indicated Pitt could not access a program in custody until next year. A community program was starting in Perth next month, but the court was told Pitt would not get a place.
Imposing an 18-month jail term suspended for 12 months, Judge Staude said this would include a condition that Pitt comply with directions for individual psychological counselling.
Judge Staude said given there was no prospect of Pitt being able to undergo a program in prison, jailing him would only protect the public for a matter of months.
A Department of Corrective Services spokeswoman said Pitt had been offered, but refused, a program when in custody in 2012.
She said he would be offered a place in a community-based program starting next month.
