Nurse who abducted girl, dragging her into his van and raping her, released from Risdon Prison

A man dragged a schoolgirl off a Tasmanian street and into his van during 2014, raping the child in an horrific attack. He’s now been released from prison with an electronic ankle bracelet.

A DEVONPORT nurse who abducted a 12-year-old girl and raped her, threatening to kill her family if she told anyone, has been released from jail on parole.

In May 2014, Lindsay Trevor Reid, then 37, grabbed the schoolgirl off a Latrobe street as she was delivering a letter, dragging her into a van and parking on an isolated road.

Married at the time and with two children, Reid told the child to undress, hitting her before raping her.

He dropped her off in a different part of town, the child running home in distress.

While an extensive investigation was carried out, Reid wasn’t identified as the rapist until two years later, when two students reported he’d been acting lewdly in public.

DNA taken from him at that time was found to match that found on the girl’s clothes from 2014.

Detective Inspector Rob Gunton holds an identikit image at the Devonport Police Station after the 12-year-old girl was abducted in 2014.

While sentencing, Supreme Court judge Stephen Estcourt said in April 2016, police raided Reid’s home, seizing a number of USB sticks and computers.

A USB seized from his bedside drawer contained a 45-second video of child exploitation material he’d filmed himself.

Reid later pleaded guilty to one count of forcible abduction, one count of aggravated assault, four counts of aggravated sexual assault, one count of indecent assault, two counts of rape, one count of production of child exploitation material and one count of possessing child exploitation material.

His 12-year-old victim said she refused to let Reid “ruin her life”.

Reid voluntarily resigned from his job and took steps to deregister himself as a nurse, a job he’d worked at for 13 years.

Detective Murray Caine prepares to conduct a doorknock on Shale Road after the girl was abducted at Latrobe.

Justice Estcourt jailed him for eight years, with a non-parole period of five years, and ordered he be kept on the sex offenders register for 10 years upon his release from prison.

In its newly-published decision, the Parole Board of Tasmania said Reid claimed he regretted his actions and the “horrendous impact” upon not only his victim, but his own family.

“He pleaded guilty to the crimes at an early opportunity and directed his energies whilst in prison toward self-reflection, therapeutic intervention and personal growth,” the board said.

It noted his “compliant behaviour” while in custody and that he was a “trusted inmate”, who had good insight into his sexual interests and deviancy.

Reid, who was released from prison on December 6, must wear an electronic monitoring ankle bracelet, and is banned from being in the company of children under 17 unless in the company of a nominated person.

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