Child star Sarah Monahan speaks out about still living in fear of Hey Dad! actor Robert Hughes

HE’S locked away, but that doesn’t stop Hey Dad! actor Sarah Monahan from being “terrified” of Robert Hughes receiving an early release.

Embargoed for the Saturday Telegraph 5 March 2016. Palm Beach, Florida, USA. 2 March, 2016. Former Hey Dad! childhood actress Sarah Monahan poses for photographs in Palm Beach, Florida. Sarah is releasing her book titled 'Allegedly' which comes out in Australian bookstores March 7, 2016. CREDIT LINE MUST READ: Ginny Dixon/Coleman-Rayner

HE IS locked away, but that doesn’t stop Hey Dad! actor Sarah Monahan from living in fear of Robert Hughes receiving an early release.

“I am terrified that they will let him off,” Monahan told The Saturday Telegraph, in an exclusive interview.

“The only thing I have that I worry about is that he’s appealing and the book is coming out now during his appeal. But I don’t think it will be a problem because everything that has to do with him in the book was already out in court so he shouldn’t be able to use anything from that.”

Hey Dad! child actor Sarah Monahan on set with favourite Crew Member Jamie Stevens.

Almost 30 years since her on-screen father Robert Hughes abused her on the set of ‘Hey Dad!,’ Monahan, revealed the suicidal thoughts she experienced during the high-profile trial, which resulted in Hughes being convicted on 10 counts of sexual and indecent assault of four young girls, serving a non-parole term of six years.

“There were times I thought about killing myself, seriously,” she said in the interview.

“That last day of court, I didn’t know if I’d be able to make it back to the aeroplane and that was probably the worst day.

“With the whole court thing and going public was more traumatising than the abuse. Doing it publicly, as a public person, that was more traumatising. I got death threats. People were just really mean, saying I was only doing it for my 15 minutes of fame. And there were people in the industry who were awful.”

Hey Dad TV SHOW Cast shot with Robert Hughes (bottom left) and Sarah Monahan (bottom centre next to Hughes).

Monahan starred as Jenny Kelly in the Hey Dad! series, and was known for her cheeky smile on screen. She said despite the pain and distress the trial put her through, she hoped the story in her new autobiography, Allegedly, would help those who feel helpless.

“I came forward because I didn’t want anyone else to go through that experience,” she said.

“I wanted to teach parents who had their kids in the industry this is what you need to look out for because it happens to so many of us. This is a potential if you throw your kid in the industry. It is like being thrown into a piranha pool.”

Former Hey Dad! child actor Sarah Monahan hopes her new book, Allegedly, will help those who feel helpless.

Monahan revealed she was disappointed in Australian actor Cate Blanchett for praising Hughes’ wife, Robyn Gardner during her Oscars acceptance speech for Best Actress in Blue Jasmine. Monahan questioned weather Blanchett, who is represented by Robyn Gardner’s management company, would leave her daughter at the Hughes’ household, saying her comments were a ‘slap in the face’ to his victims.

“Now that she’s got a daughter, would she let (Robert) at her house? I was livid,” Monahan said. “That was so rude. I couldn’t believe she did it. I get that she was trying to show her support for Robyn but it was a slap in the face to all the victims. I wonder if she would let ... Robert babysit her kids.”

Blanchett has never expressed support for Mr Hughes. During her 2015 Oscars speech, Blanchett said ‘to my agent in Australia, Robyn Gardiner, I love you so very much.’

“That was so rude. I couldn’t believe she did it”. Picture: Kevin Winter/Getty Images.

Monahan discussed that she and husband Matt Morris did not see themselves as parents, alluding to her past as a reason for not becoming a mother.

“I don’t think I would be a good parent because I feel I wasn’t parented well so I didn’t learn how to parent. There’s also the other half of me that thinks the world is over populated and I don’t need to reproduce either.”

She lost contact with her mother Linda, who “disowned” her during the Hughes trial.

“I haven’t heard from her. It used to hurt but it doesn’t bother me anymore. When all this happened and mum disowned me, he (brother, Mark) took over and has just become the most awesome brother on earth,” she said.

Read Sarah Monahan’s full interview with The Saturday Telegraph here.