Commission of inquiry slams police for giving alleged paedophile cop full funeral with guard of honour

The commission of inquiry has published a damning report into how Tasmania Police dealt with an alleged paedophile in its ranks over the course of a decade, ultimately burying him as a hero.

Former Inspector Paul Reynolds

When Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds died by suicide, he was farewelled as a hero by the force – afforded a “full police funeral, with a guard of honour”.

But Senior Sergeant Reynolds was almost certainly a serial paedophile – with Tasmania Police aware of such allegations for an entire decade before it buried him with fanfare.

In fact, Tasmania Police was actively investigating him over paedophilia allegations right before his huge funeral, which was attended by hundreds of officers.

It’s a matter that has come to the chagrin of Tasmania’s child sexual abuse commission of inquiry, which has now published a damning report into how the force dealt with serious and credible allegations into one of its own.

In their newly-tabled final report and recommendations, the commissioners noted allegations were raised against Senior Sergeant Reynolds – who was demoted from the role of Inspector in 2012 – as far back as 2008.

Those allegations, reported by an interstate police officer following an alleged conversation during drinks in the Tasmania Police Academy bar, were ultimately dismissed as a “misinterpretation”, according to commission’s report.

The commissioners said an interstate police officer allegedly heard serious concerns about then-Inspector Reynolds from two Tasmania Police Inspectors.

“One Inspector reportedly said he had visited Inspector Reynolds’ home and saw him with a 15-year-old boy between his legs, giving him a massage,” the commissioners said in their report.

Then-Inspector Paul Reynolds.

“Another Inspector reportedly said that his wife had been approached by people in the community concerned about Inspector Reynolds’ behaviour around young boys.”

But when the interstate officer reported the alleged conversation to a Tasmania Police Divisional Inspector, the Inspectors in questions recanted their words upon questioning from police seniors, according to the report.

They said there had been a “misinterpretation of comments made” and it had not been said Inspector Reynolds was a paedophile.

The commission stated in its report an Assistant Commissioner also present during the alleged conversation said there was “no mention of paedophilia in the bar that evening” and he did not believe “there was any basis to pursue the matter further”.

He also said such an allegation could have “very damaging consequences for a person wrongfully accused”.

The Tasmania Police Commander of Internal Investigations found the interstate police office must have been either mistaken, or have misinterpreted the comments – and the matter was closed, the report states.

Then-Inspector Reynolds was not told about the allegation, to avoid “dissension between him” and the two Inspectors in question.

But the allegations against Senior Sergeant Reynolds didn’t end there.

In 2018, after he was demoted amid concerns about his work performance, a senior police officer lodged a complaint that Senior Sergeant Reynolds had sent and received child exploitation material and had groomed young men, some at a local football club.

“Shortly after these allegations, police searched his home and Senior Sergeant Reynolds died by suicide,” the commissioners wrote.

At his full police funeral, the now-retired Commissioner Darren Hine spoke about Senior Sergeant Reynolds and “outlined” his career.

Last year, an inquest heard it was “widely known in Deloraine” that Senior Sergeant Reynolds was a paedophile.

The commissioners acknowledged Tasmania Police “eventually” investigated the allegations in 2018 – but noted a whole decade had passed since “credible reports” were first raised.

They said they were concerned that Senior Sergeant Reynolds was given a police funeral, noting concerns that heralding him as a hero would have impacted his alleged victims.

Commissioner Leah Bromfield, Marcia Neave and Robert Benjamin. Picture: ABC/pool

The commissioners urged Tasmania Police to improve police responses to reports of child sexual abuse against its members, saying “strong accountability measures” were needed.

“The cost of failing to rigorously investigate allegations of child sexual abuse is too high,” they said.

The commissioners said they strongly supported the need for independent oversight of internal police investigations – and recommended the force establish a “clear, publicly accessible process for reporting and responding” to child sexual abuse allegations against officers.

Tasmania Police Commissioner Donna Adams said the force now regretted the decision to grant Senior Sergeant Reynolds a police funeral.

She said it was also acknowledged there were failings in the original police investigation into the allegations against him.

Commissioner Adams said at the time of his death, police were in the initial stages of a criminal investigation regarding indecent images being sent to minors - but the “full extent of his conduct was not known at that stage”.

“Quite simply, knowing what we do now, clearly the decision to grant a police funeral was a mistake, and one we regret,” she said.

Her words were echoed by Police Minister Felix Ellis.

“I don’t think it was appropriate that Paul Reynolds should have received a state funeral and I think it was the wrong decision,” he said.

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Originally published as Commission of inquiry slams police for giving alleged paedophile cop full funeral with guard of honour