Jail warning for Sex Offender Registry man who didn’t tell police about his passport applications
A serious sex offender on the register for 15 years has been told by a Frankston court that if he again fails to tell cops about lifestyle changes he will be behind bars.
South East
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A convicted sexual offender who forgot to tell police he was applying for two passports has been warned he faces jail if he repeats the breach.
The man is listed on the Sex Offenders Registry for 15 years due to a 2016 County Court conviction and must report changes to his job, travel plans, email addresses, home location and even his car rego.
But two failures to let police know he wanted to go overseas has landed the Frankston 46-year-old in hot water.
Stefan Max Wood pleaded guilty to two failing to notify breaches at Frankston Magistrates’ Court yesterday.
The court heard he had his usual annual interview with Frankston sex unit officers in July last year.
He didn’t tell them he intended to renew both his UK and Australian passports, which he did over the next few months.
As part of his conditions he was meant to tell them of any such plans within seven days, so they can keep a track on where he is.
Border authorities let local police know of the two passport applications and last November Wood was arrested and interviewed.
In court his defence lawyer said at the time of the applications his cousin in the UK was extremely unwell and he wanted to go and see them.
He said Wood was going to let police know about the passports and travel plans once they were finalised, and he did get approval to travel in mid-November.
He said his client was remorseful for the oversight, was attending psychological counselling for his previous crime (which was not detailed in court) and had rebuilt his life.
But it was revealed Wood had a similar prior for failing to notify authorities about a previous change — not advising police about a car he had registered.
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Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said Wood should have well known the consequences of failing to notify after his previous court appearance.
But he said the fact that neither breach involved direct risk to the public weighed in his favour.
“You really need to understand this is serious, complying with the register is serious,” Mr Lethbridge said.
“Next time it will be imprisonment.”
Wood was convicted and fined $1000.