Paedophile Timothy Salmon to stay in jail after parole bid

A court has been asked to decide if a paedophile with an interest in ‘lust murder’ and other depraved acts is fit to return the community.

The Bundaberg Court House.

A former Gold Coast man who spent years commiting vehicle and theft related crimes before being jailed for a string of child sex offences in Bundaberg has been locked away indefinitely.

Queensland’s Attorney General successfully asked the Queensland Supreme Court to keep Timothy Salmon, 31, in custody beyond his parole date of February 27, 2022.

The Attorney General argued Salmon had failed to undertake two rehabilitation programs in jail for serious child sex offenders, and, without these programs, remained a dangerous person who posed a threat to the community.

On February 18, 2014, Salmon was convicted in the Bundaberg District Court of unlawful carnal knowledge of a child under the age of 16 after pushing an autistic girl into a garden and having sex with her, a published ruling by the Supreme Court states.

The crime was interrupted by the girl’s uncle who grabbed Salmon by the throat.

On August 22, 2019, Salmon was convicted of further sex crimes, including indecent treatment of a child under the age of 16 (under 12), possession of child exploitation material and distributing child exploitation material.

The indecent treatment was committed against a nine-year-old girl.

According to the court documents, Salmon had an extensive history of drug abuse, with psychiatrists noting his sexual drive towards children was more overt when he was intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

While in prison on January 21, 2021, Salmon was offered a place in the Getting Started Preparatory Program (GSPP).

The GSPP is completed over a six week period and prepares prisoners to undertake programs such as the High Intensity Sexual Offender Program (HISOP), delivered over 12 months.

Salmon did not accept the offer of entering into the GSPP, which made him ineligible to complete the HISOP by his release date, the court documents state.

He said he could not partake because of his severe anxiety about participating in a group program.

Judge Davis ordered Salmon undergo three psychiatric assessments from three different psychiatrists to determine his eligibility to remain behind bars.

Reports concluded Salmon had poor relationships with his parents as a child and encountered sexual abuse, which could have contributed to his substance abuse and antisocial disorder.

One sickening report described Salmon’s desire to have sex with underage girls, kill them and have sex with their corpse.

“Mr Salmon is now 31, with Conduct Disorder, aggressive and under-socialised as a child developing into Antisocial Personality Disorder,” the report read.

“He now has evidence of multiple paraphilic interest and has actively acted through child exploitation material on many the most concerning being paedophilic with hands on offending and through communication devices sexual sadism, necrophilia and paedophilic sexual sadism to lust murder (sic).”

Judge Davis said each psychiatrist report found very similar findings.

“All three psychiatrists observed in their reports that the respondent is an untreated sex offender with a severe personality disorder, a substance abuse disorder and paedophiliac traits,” he said.

“As such, his risk of sexually reoffending against children is high.”

Judge Davis ruled in the Attorney General’s favour, satisfied that Salmon was a serious danger to the community.

He ordered Salmon be detained in custody for an indefinite term for control, care or treatment.