Rod Corrie: Former scout official sentenced for sexually assaulting children over 20-year-period

A disgraced former scouts master has been sentenced for the horrific sexual abuse of children, aged as young as seven, inside scout halls and camps across a 20-year period.

It was not a camp of joyful adventure for eight young scouts, but Camp Horror. All were between the ages of seven and 14 when they were sexually assaulted and abused by a former Scouts official across an almost 20-year period at Scouts NSW events, camps, halls and in the perceived safety of their own homes.

Roderick ‘Rod’ Corrie, 79, a former Scouts NSW branch commissioner, sexually abused countless boys – scouts under his care – across, predominantly, the organisation’s North Sydney community.

At Downing Centre District Court on Friday, Corrie was sentenced for a whopping 40 charges of child sex abuse to a total of 14 years behind bars. Some of the victims appeared in person to watch the sentencing.

The court heard how Corrie across a 20-year period – for these matters – sexually touched, abused and assaulted eight boys ranging from the ages of seven to 14 while a Scouts master.

The offences happened between 1963 and 1980. Corrie pleaded guilty to all 40 charges in February 2021.

Rod Corrie, pictured here in the 1970s. Picture: Koffels Solicitors and Barristers

Judge John Pickering called Corrie a “menace to boys across NSW”, someone who “lived a complete lie” and should be “kept away from the rest of us”.

“I don’t know how you live with yourself,” the judge said. “You let down everything the community expects of its adults.”

“You’re not getting out of this sentence.”

Across the 40 charges, he – at different times and to different boys – forced them to perform oral sex on him while he babysat, made them share a bed with him and forced them to shower with him, among other horrific acts.

(Generic picture of Scouts NSW uniform) The judge said Corrie abused both what is expected of an adult and a Scout.

The court heard how after he sexually abused one of the children, Corrie pleaded to him not to tell anyone.

“It’s just a one off, I haven’t done this before – don’t tell anyone, don’t ruin this for me,” Corrie said.

To another, he said if the boy sought help, he’d hurt his mother.

These were not isolated cases and took place at Scouts halls at various locations – including Terrigal, Cremorne, the Blue Mountains and Mosman, among others.

Corrie appeared in person, but from custody – frail and old, unlike the predator who abused young boys across the 1960s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

“You appear now as an old, frail man – but for 50 years you were anything but,” said Judge Pickering.

Corrie was sentenced at Downing Centre District Court. Picture: Monique Harmer

Corrie was sentenced to 14 years, with a non-parole period of nine years, with his sentence backdated to February 2021.

He is currently serving a 12-year sentence for child sex abuse convictions, handed down in 2018, and was also sentenced to seven years behind bars in 2000, which included eight charges of child sex abuse.

The court heard that after his release in 2007, Corrie sexually abused further children. Judge Pickering said he would still be abusing children now if he wasn’t behind bars.

“You’d commit an offence right now if you were let out,” the judge said.

“You don’t deserve to be part of our community again.”