Sex fiends from a secret facility in Melbourne suburb of Fairfield released to strike again
UPDATE: THE GOVERNMENT has defended a secret treatment centre for some of Victoria's worst sex predators despite them reoffending at alarming rates.
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EXCLUSIVE: GRADUATES of a secret treatment centre for some of Victoria's worst sexual predators are reoffending at alarming rates after their release back into the community.
The Herald Sun can today reveal that almost one in five of the intellectually disabled men released from the facility in Fairfield strikes again after returning to the community.
After completing their treatment, the predators went on to commit serious crimes such as sexually assaulting children, loitering in areas where children are present, making obscene phone calls to schools, assault, obtaining child pornography and escaping from detention.
Their victims were betrayed by the system despite some of the men being so dangerous they have since been placed on Victoria Police's sex offenders register for life.
Despite long histories as sexual predators, the men were treated in a therapeutic facility where they were taken into the community to test their sexual reactions on unsuspecting members of the public.
Today, the government confirmed it had no plans to close the facility or its $6.3m program and stressed that the re-offending rates offenders who did not take part in the program were much worse.
A three-year Herald Sun investigation into the facility run by the Disability Forensic Assessment and Treatment Service (DFATS) revealed:
ONE prolific pedophile, Darren Russell Seiler, sexually assaulted a child at Coburg last year after being released from. He is now in jail. He had previously walked away from DFATS while a voluntary patient, grabbed a five-year-old girl, stripped and sexually assaulted her.
A PREDATOR, in DFATS after sexually assaulting his sister, male cousin and three-year-old daughter, is allowed out in public unaccompanied as part of his treatment.
THE Government confirmed 18 per cent of the 76 men to go through the program since 1990 - about 14 men - have committed more sex crimes.
THE program costs $6.3 million a year to run, despite treating only about a dozen men at any time.
CENTRELINK deems most of the men to have been sentenced to custody and refuses to pay them pensions - costing the taxpayer instead.
Mental Health Minister Mary Wooldridge said dealing with intellectually disabled offenders was "challenging" and community safety was the Government's priority.
"DFATS is not a prison or custodial setting. It is a treatment facility that provides intensive treatment and education for people with an intellectually disability,'' she said.
Ms Wooldridge said closing the facility was "not under consideration".
The Government said there was a 60 per cent rate of reoffending by intellectually disabled offenders not undergoing treatment.
Sen-Sgt Davies added: "If these sex offenders continue to prey on women and children they ought to be removed from the community.
"They should be institutionalised until the day arrives that it can be guaranteed they are 100 per cent safe to be released back into the community. If that day never arrives, it's bad luck for them."
Australia's leading expert on sexual offending, Dr Freda Briggs, said the men were "very dangerous'', and the treatment was unlikely to work unless sex drive was also lowered with drugs.
ellen.whinnett@news.com.au
David Gregory Byrnes, 26
2004: Raped boy, 5, in Belmont Shopping Centre toilet. Jailed three years and six months. Sentence upped on appeal to six years' jail. Sent to DFATS.
SINCE RELEASE
Absconded from approved residence at Ararat, sentenced two months' jail.
June 2013: Absconded again. Arrested 13 hours later. Sentenced six months' jail.
Darren Russell Seiler, 32
2001: As a voluntary patient, walked away from DFATS, followed by staff who could not compel him to return. Grabbed a girl, 5, from a sports stadium, stripped and sexually assaulted her.
2004: Admitted two counts of sexual penetration of a child and three counts of committing an indecent act with a boy, 3.
2007: With two other detainees, escaped DFATS. Arrested the next day.
SINCE RELEASE
July 23, 2012: Committed an indecent act with a child under 16 years at Coburg. Sentenced on appeal to two years six months' jail. Registered as a sex offender for life.
Mr A, 25
Sent to DFATS. A psychologist reported his "particularly high levels of deviant sexual arousal to babies and younger children.''
2007: Escaped DFATS with two others. Arrested next day.
SINCE RELEASE
2010: Secretly placed in Gippsland, moved after community protest.
2011: Admitted recklessly causing serious injury to a person, sentenced to one year's jail.
August 17, 2012: Faced court on burglary, theft, intentionally causing injury, false imprisonment and robbery charges. Sentenced to three-months' jail on driving charges.
Mr B, 39
Prior convictions for child rape and indecent assault on a child.
1994: Convicted of child abduction and rape.
1996: Charged with sexually attacking two young girls at Brunswick.
2007: Escaped DFATS with two others. Captured next day.
SINCE RELEASE
2010: Fled Victoria, extradited by police from interstate.
March 2011: Smuggled child pornography into his residence at Ararat. Sentenced to four months' jail. Registered for life as a sex offender.
John Denis Dymond, 34
Has priors for indecent exposure.
August 18 and 19, 2010: Sexually assaulted two women on trams. Convicted of indecent assault and intentionally causing serious injury.
2011: Sexually attacked female DFATS worker. Convicted of intentionally causing injury, indecent assault and breaching a suspended jail term. Total minimum sentence: three years, four months.
Last week: Sentenced to 14 days' jail for unlawful assault, thought to be on a prison nurse.
Jamie Robert Eastoe: 34
SINCE RELEASE
2010: Loitered in a public place frequented by a child at Reservoir. Sentenced to 116 days in jail (deemed time already served). Registered as a sex offender for life.
2012: Loitered in a public place frequented by a child in Melbourne. Sentenced to four months' jail.
March 23, 2012: Theft at Ripponlea, convicted and fined $300.
Troy Aaron Gray, 30
2008: Convicted one count of rape, sent to DFATS for three years. Registered as a sex offender for life.
SINCE RELEASE
2012: Intentionally damaged property. Ordered to pay $1871 to the Australian Community Support Organisation, and fined $500.
July 2013: Committed unlawful assault and theft. Later ordered to be of good behaviour, and the case adjourned.
July 2013: Two counts shop theft less than $600. Adjourned, ordered to be of good behaviour.
Mr D, 41
2005: Wilful and obscene exposure at Fairfield. Two months' jail, suspended.
2006: Failed to comply with reporting obligations. Fined $1200.
2006: Wilful and obscene exposure at Fairfield. Two months jail, suspended.
2006: Intentionally causing injury at Fairfield. Four-month jail term suspended.
SINCE RELEASE
September 2010 to June 2011: Left sexual phone messages at three schools in Ballarat. Requested a female school uniform be provided and told police he had been watching schoolgirls and "almost had one".
Failed to comply with reporting obligations. Thirteen months' jail.
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