William Tyrrell inquiry hears of SES member being interviewed by police

Police have interviewed a man who coaxed young intellectually disabled people to perform sex acts on him.

Volunteers from the SES help with the search for William Tyrrell. Picture: Nathan Edwards

A man who coaxed young intellectually disabled people to perform sex acts on him has been interviewed by police, in relation to the disappearance of missing boy, William Tyrrell, a coroner’s court has heard.

Robert Donohoe, 42, took part in the search for William, when the boy went missing in September 2014.

He was a member of the Taree SES at the time, and also worked at a Lakewood Caltex, about 10 minutes from Kendall, where William was staying when he disappeared.

The coroner’s court heard today that Mr Donohoe had a small white van, a bit like a station wagon, in which he would sleep between Caltex shifts, rather than drive home to Taree, where he was living at the time.

The court heard he would park his vehicle near the Kendall swimming pool, or near the Kendall showgrounds.

William’s foster mother has told police that she recalled seeing a small white station wagon outside her mother’s house on the morning of 12 September 2014, just a few hours before William went missing.

Mr Donohoe was arrested a few days after William went missing and charged with the sexual assault of three young people. All had significant cognitive development issues.

He was found guilty of five of the 13 initial charges. He initially told police he did not know that it was wrong to convince an intellectually disabled person to have sex with him.

Mr Donohoe’s van was taken by his father to an address in Wagga Wagga, while he served prison time.

The Coroner’s court was shown video of police opening the garage where the van was stored, and searching it.

At his trial in 2015, the court was told that Mr Donohoe met his victim though the Taree SES.

His former manager at the Caltex, Sharon Starr, told the court she found him “creepy”.

She said he brought a “star stamp” to work so he could stamp good children on the hand. She told him not to do it.

He also brought a van full of chickens to work, but didn’t bring them inside. He wanted to know if he could sell the eggs but was told no.

Ms Starr could not say for certain if Mr Donohoe was working the day of William’s disappearance, but Woolworths, which owns Caltex, would have records.

The inquest is continuing.