BishopAccountability.org

Dubbo child sex predator still attends same church where he abused young girls

By Annabel Hennessy
Daily Telegraph
November 21, 2017

http://bit.ly/2hIhsZ3

One of the victims at the time of the abuse.

‘TM’ was given a two-year suspended sentence and no supervision orders.

One of the victims at the time of the abuse.

The victims were 8 and 10 when the abuse started.

The child sex predator is still a member of the same church.

NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman.
Photo by Renee Nowytarger

[with video]

A CHILD sex predator spared jail because a judge granted leniency for a series of bizarre reasons — such as his high cholesterol and sleeping problems — is still a member of the church where he abused young girls.

The Daily Telegraph can also reveal he is attending regular church conventions where he has access to hundreds of kids.

The revelations come after new calls were issued for an appeal into the sentence and the Director of Public Prosecution started the process to allow his two victims (one pictured at the time she was abused) to reveal their identities so they can speak out.

The 55-year-old Dubbo man — who can only be ­referred to as “TM” — was given a three and a half year suspended sentence in June despite pleading guilty to 10 child sex offences that occurred on two girls. They were aged just 8 and 10 when the abuse began.

There was also no supervision order on his release conditions.

Judge John North granted “a discount” for a variety of reasons including that TM, who was aged from 19 to 26 when the abuse took place, was “sexually inexperienced” because of his conservative upbringing in the church and hadn’t taken sexual education classes in school.

One of his relatives yesterday revealed he is still ­involved with the religion and regularly attends conferences where there are hundreds of kids.

The church cannot be named because of a non-publication order on TM’s name and any information that could identify him.

“The conventions they hold happen every three weeks and there would be hundreds of little girls,” the relative said.

One of the victims, whose name also has a non-publication order on it despite her wanting to speak out, said she had recently spoken to the church leader about her concerns but was ignored.

State Opposition Leader Luke Foley yesterday ­declared “if you rape children you belong in prison”.

NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman said he could not think of a more “heinous crime” than child sexual assault and said he would “look at all appropriate avenues” if the DPP chose not to bring an appeal to the sentence.

Child sex abuse accounts read out by actors

But Mr Speakman said the DPP was an “independent” agency and he could not order a review. He said there had long been community concerns penalties for child sex offenders were too light.

However the Attorney-General does have the right to appeal to the court in his own right.

The DPP late yesterday said its “representatives” had “called both victims yesterday to confirm they wanted the non-publication order lifted and start the application to appeal it”.




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