Robert Whitehead, Puffing Billy paedophile jailed for child sex attacks
A REMORSELESS child molester who preyed on victims through their love of Melbourne’s iconic Puffing Billy has been jailed.
Law & Order
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A REMORSELESS child molester who preyed on victims through their love of Melbourne’s iconic Puffing Billy steam train has been jailed for more than eight years for his "unforgivable’’ acts.
Robert Whitehead, 84, is likely to die behind bars for his despicable crimes against children in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.
The former Victorian railways official and prominent historian, who is in a wheelchair, must serve at least four-and-a-half years before becoming eligible for parole.
Judge Michael Tinney painted Whitehead as a vile rock spider who preyed upon young children who shared his love of trains.
This day has been a long day coming for (your victims)," he said.
Most of Whitehead’s six victims were in court to watch their tormentor finally face justice.
The court heard at least one victim complained to police about Whitehead in the early ‘80s, but he was never charged.
Judge Tinney said many of Whitehead’s victims were made to feel like liars and had finally been vindicated.
"You have truly left in your wake a trail of human wreckage," he said.
"Your conduct was shameful.’’
Whitehead, who pleaded guilty to 24 child sex offences, was a volunteer for the Puffing Billy steam train, and he encountered some of his victims through that work as they were also train enthusiasts.
Whitehead was head controller at Melbourne’s Spencer Street station and was most recently associated with the Seymour Historic Rail Society.
The court heard Whitehead lost his job with the railways for all of six months back in 1959 when he was convicted of two other indecent assaults on scouts.
Judge Tinney was scathing of the former Victorian Railways for rehiring the predator.
"I view with utter dismay the fact you were re-employed by the railways in the 60s,’’ he said.
Judge Tinney suggested it unfortunate a victim’s complaint was not pursued by police in 1985, but attributed it to a largely different attitude held by authorities at the time.
He also blamed Whitehead for denying the allegations.
"What more could he do as a young boy,” he said.
"He was made to feel he was at fault, that he was a liar."
At an earlier hearing, the court heard Whitehead was allowed to hide within the regional rail operator V/Line where he worked with one of his victims.
The victim, who was subjected to sickening abuse by the paedophile as a 14-year old, went on to work with Whitehead at V/Line.
The man, who Whitehead raped with a garden hose, told the court Whitehead was part of a paedophile ring and had friends in high places.
He said he repeatedly tried to alert other railway organisations and his employer of Whitehead’s abuse "to (his) own detriment”.
"When I alerted my own V/Line manager, I was the one threatened with the sack," he said. "Such was your hold over these people."
Other victims described Whitehead as a predator who masterfully groomed them through their mutual love of the railways.
Nearly all of the victims were told they needed to be "initiated" into the railways by agreeing to his grubby demands.
The court heard one boy was forced to sign a lewd questionnaire with his own blood before being tied naked to a ladder.
"You look like Jesus on the cross," Whitehead told the boy before leaving him trapped for 90 terrifying minutes.
The court heard his victims thought they would be killed and were told by Whitehead not to tell their parents because they would not be believed.
Whitehead eventually came unstuck when more victims came forward during the recent Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse.
He was sentenced to a maximum of eight years and eight months behind bars.