Daniel Dowdy: Convicted child sex offender found hiding in boys’ toilets at Killarney Heights High School
A notorious child sex offender — with a string of convictions for flashing kids — was found hiding in the boys’ toilets at a Sydney school, a court has heard.
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A notorious convicted child sex offender was found hiding in the boys’ toilets at a northern beaches’ high school, a court has heard.
Daniel Dowdy, who has served jail time for flashing kids, was discovered by three students in a cubicle at Killarney Heights High School.
Dowdy, who was already on the NSW Child Protection Register “for life”, told police he snuck into the toilet block on September 12 to “carry out one of his fantasies”.
The 33-year-old from Burwood had only been out of jail, on previous convictions for obscene exposure, for three days when he confronted the boys in the toilets at 11.20am, the court heard during Dowdy’s sentencing hearing at Manly Local Court on Thursday.
Dowdy, who appeared in court via video link from jail where he was being held on remand, acknowledged in a letter to the magistrate that the incident would have been “terrifying” for the students.
“When located (Dowdy) caused fear to the students by screaming and being aggressive towards them,” according to a police facts sheet tendered to the court.
“(It) caused the three (boys) to run from the vicinity until a teacher was found.”
Dowdy was then seen trying to climb over a gate into Wellwood Ave, before he was stopped by staff and escorted from the school grounds. Teachers then called police.
He was arrested in Dee Why the next day after police reviewed security camera footage.
In May 2022, the serial flasher was sentenced to two years jail for exposing himself to three children in the public toilets at the Ashfield Mall shopping centre while their mother was paying for groceries nearby.
He has multiple convictions for similar offences dating back to 2013.
Dowdy pleaded guilty to one count of convicted child sexual offender loitering near a public place (school).
He also pleaded guilty to a series of charges related to making harassing telephone calls to police and falsely claiming to have committed child sex based crimes.
Dowdy told Chatswood police on September 9 that he had hidden in the toilet block of an inner west public school before sexually assaulting a boy.
On September 11, he called Frenchs Forest Police and claimed he was currently masturbating outside another inner west school.
Police investigated all the claims, which turned out to be false.
He also told officers that he had 44 videos on his mobile phone of him masturbating in front of children, at various locations around Sydney, “when their parents aren’t looking”.
Dowdy pleaded guilty to two counts each of making false representation resulting in police investigation and use (mobile phone) to menace/harass/offend.
The court heard that a psychologist concluded that Dowdy, who has described himself as a performance artist and had been diagnosed with “exhibitionist disorder”, committed the offences to draw attention to himself and experience the “thrill of getting caught”.
Dowdy also pleaded guilty to breaking into a home at Kogarah and stealing a bike.
During sentencing, Magistrate Lisa Stapleton said his recent offences were an “affront to decency”.
“His behaviour is a form of public mischief, ringing up police … and offensive behaviour in a public place,” Ms Stapleton said.
He was handed an aggregate sentence of 30 months in jail with a non-parole period of 15 months. Dowdy will be eligible to be released on parole, with time served, in January 2026.
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Originally published as Daniel Dowdy: Convicted child sex offender found hiding in boys’ toilets at Killarney Heights High School
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