Christopher Eakin charged with breaching prohibition order
A convicted child rapist allegedly told police he wasn’t “thinking clearly” when they found him hanging around a packed pool and park during the school holidays, a court has heard.
Dubbo News
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A no nonsense magistrate has slammed the alleged behaviour of a convicted child rapist accused of hanging around a packed public pool during the school holidays.
Police charged Christopher Eakin, 37, with two counts of breaching a prohibition order after he allegedly visited the Narromine Aquatic Centre and nearby Rotary Park on Tuesday.
The Dubbo resident entered no pleas when he appeared in Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday to apply for bail with an electronic tracking device around his ankle.
During the bail hearing police prosecutor Sergeant Joel Fraser told the court Mr Eakin posed a “real and extreme risk” to the safety of the community because of his criminal history.
Sergeant Fraser said Mr Eakin had been previously convicted of the aggravated sexual assault of a person under 16 in 1998 and was now in breach of court orders because he attended places children frequent.
Defence lawyer Carmen Just said Mr Eakin had been reporting to police in Dubbo and taking part in drug and alcohol counselling, while also seeking mental health support.
Magistrate Greg Gogin was scathing in his assessment of Mr Eakin’s predicament.
“He’s just finished a term of imprisonment last year for possessing child abuse material,” Magistrate Gogin said.
“He’s only been on the prohibition order since December 15 and within a month there’s allegations of him hanging around a pool and a park.”
Magistrate Gogin told the court Mr Eakin allegedly spent 25 minutes in Rotary Park, more than an hour at the pool and 10 minutes standing opposite the venue.
“He informed police that he hadn’t been thinking clearly.
“I don’t know how a person could say that they haven’t been thinking clearly when they’ve got an electronic bracelet around their ankle.”
Magistrate Gogin refused bail and adjourned the case to a date in February.
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