Paul Andrew Goonan sentenced for breaching child protection prohibition order

A man banned from entering areas with children due to a child protection prohibition order was found by undercover cops at a busy highway rest stop.

Paul Andrew Goonan was sentenced at Moss Vale Local Court to an ICO after breaching a child protection order.

Covert cops captured an offender living at a popular highway rest stop despite a protection order banning him from areas populated by children.

Paul Andrew Goonan was arrested on December 23 after police saw him sitting for an hour in the busy Gordon VC rest stop at Sutton Forest.

In 2011, Goonan was convicted of possessing or disseminating child abuse material, using a carriage service to access child pornography and using a carriage service to transmit or distribute child abuse material.

He was then charged in 2018 and later convicted of possessing child abuse material.

Both times, Goonan served time in jail, and in 2020 was placed under the Child Protection (Offenders Prohibition Order) Act for five years at Campbelltown Local Court.

As a result, the former St Helens Park resident was prohibited from loitering or remaining in areas frequented by children.

On December 22, officers attached to the Campbelltown Child Protection Unit were notified Goonan was homeless and residing in his car at the Gordon VC rest stop and had been there for a week.

Paul Andrew Goonan.

Police were dispatched to the popular motorist stop, but he was not there. They returned the following day and spotted Goonan sitting on a park bench with his car parked nearby.

According to court documents, Goonan could see the toilet facilities, a food van and the car park.

Police covertly watched Goonan for an hour before they arrested him and, in that time, counted 20 children in the area, with the majority under 10.

“While watching the accused, it was clear he would look up from his book and look in the direction of the children who were at the rest area,” the police facts stated.

Goonan pleaded guilty to contravening a prohibition order and fronted Moss Vale Local Court for sentencing on Monday.

His lawyer told the court Goonan was homeless and living out of his car when police caught him.

She added he had maintained contact with his supervisors and at no point engaged or attempted to engage with any of the children.

The lawyer told the court Goonan had two sets of charges relating to child abuse material on his record and had been released in 2022.

She said Goonan had lost family, including his brother to a car accident, and suffered from mental health issues.

Magistrate Robert Rabbidge said the community had “grave concerns” about those with a history of possessing child abuse material.

“Communities are always very protective of its children … so the law is very firm indeed,” he said.

“It is suggested the gentleman is willing to undertake intervention.”

After acknowledging his early plea, Mr Rabbidge said imprisonment was the only appropriate sentence but granted Goonan a nine-month intensive correction order to serve it in the community.

Goonan will also have to complete 75 hours of community service.