Sex-change pedophile Jeffrey Terrence Anderson released

Despite warnings he remains a high risk to children, a pedophile who changed sex in prison is now living in the community without a complete control plan.

A PEDOPHILE who argued he should be released from jail after authorities helped him change sex in prison is now living in the community without a complete control plan, despite warnings he is a high risk to children.

Jeffrey Terrence Anderson, 34, who was referred to in court documents as Ms Rose, was jailed in 2008 after repeated offences against children – including having sex with a 12-year-old and abusing two six-year-old boys he was babysitting.

Anderson was released from jail on a court-imposed supervision order on Tuesday after serving 12 years behind bars. Brisbane Supreme Court documents show that after failing to get a prison transfer, Anderson identified as a woman and was given sex-change hormones while behind bars.

He claimed his transition to a woman made him less likely to offend against children, despite being found with pictures of babies and self-penned child abuse material in jail.

After being denied release from custody in 2018, Anderson made a further bid to the Supreme Court in Queensland to get out of jail this year.

The court this month accepted advice that while it wasn’t “ideal” the sex predator be released without a comprehensive plan to stop him re­offending, the COVID-19 crisis made it necessary for him to be released under supervision so he could access treatment.

In the judgment, the court said Anderson “firmly believes” the “new identity as a woman” would make him less likely to offend, but psychologist Luke Hatzipetrou said this excuse was “naive”.

Opposition spokesman for justice David Janetzki expressed concerns Queenslanders were footing the bill for prisoners to undergo transition therapy.

“Taxpayers paying for child sex offenders to have a sex change is simply wrong,” he told The Sunday Mail.

Minister for Corrective Services Mark Ryan said prison medical decisions were made by health experts and released prisoners were strictly supervised on orders.