Former Bega Cheese boss and millionaire paedophile Maurice Van Ryn cops one year on fresh child sex charges

The families of the victims of millionaire paedophile Maurice Van Ryn say they are disappointed he will spend just one more year in jail after being sentenced on fresh charges.

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The families of the victims of millionaire paedophile Maurice Van Ryn said they were disappointed that he will spend only one more year in jail after being sentenced on fresh charges.

Judge Sean Grant today sentenced the former Bega Cheese boss to nine years’ jail for repeatedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy including forcing him to have anal intercourse.

“The offences before me are very serious examples of their kind,” Judge Grant said.

“It involved degradation of the victim and also exposed the young person to potentially transmitted disease.”

Maurice Van Ryn leaving the Downing Centre Courts.

But he ordered that part of the sentence be served at the same time as the disgraced businessman’s current sentence of at least 13 years six months and a maximum term of 17 years nine months for the sexual assaults on his other nine young victims.

It means his earliest release date is now 2029.

“I am disappointed for the community,” the father of one of those nine victims said outside Bega District Court today.

“I would like to have seen him serve longer to protect the community.”

The maximum sentence he could have faced was 12 years and victims’ advocate Howard Brown said the judge had indicated how serious this offending was by giving him nine years.

“It was a good sentence but of course it is disappointing that Van Ryn did not get longer on his maximum sentence as well,” Mr Brown said.

He said Judge Grant’s reasoning was “solid” but it meant that when the sexual predator is released, he will be supervised for less time on parole.

“We know that sex offenders require a higher level of supervision in the community than shop lifters,” Mr Brown said.

The 10th victim, who was 14 at the time of the assaults, reported them to police last year after Van Ryn had been jailed for the other assaults.

Judge Grant said the teenager’s victim impact statement showed he was “deeply affected” by what happened.

“(He has) flashbacks, episodes of self-harm, anxiety, relationship and trust issues with suicidal ideation,” the judge said.

Maurice Van Ryn was the former Bega Cheese CEO

“The victim indicates his prison is his thoughts and he faces those thoughts daily for the rest of his life.”

Van Ryn, who had pleaded guilty to the four counts of sexual intercourse without consent, raised his hand to his face as the graphic details of the abuse were read out by the judge.

“It was as if he saw saying ‘oh god do I have to go through this again’”, Mr Brown said.

The judge said Van Ryn was a predator.

“(He) had built a pedophilic friendly environment that assisted in the abuse of this young person,” Judge Grant said.

“He had a substantial house with spa, pool and tennis court. There was the added attraction of computer games and alcohol. It was a venue to entice and take advantage of the young person which the offender did.

“He also offered money for sex which was ultimately denied.”