Tassie’s child sex offenders and their vile crimes revealed
They are the men who have gone from the community to the courtroom after being found guilty of sex crimes against children. The Mercury’s investigation into the state’s worst offenders, exposes their identities and their sick acts. SEE THE FULL LIST OF TASMANIA’S WORST OFFENDERS >>
Police & Courts
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They’ve preyed on the state’s most vulnerable and over the years, their despicable acts have been aired in courts across Tasmaina.
Tasmania’s court records show a recent history of predators who took advantage of their positions of power to lure and abuse their victims.
These are some of Tasmania’s convicted child sex offenders and what happened when they faced the music.
PAUL RONALD GOLDSMITH
CONVICTED, DECEASED
Paul Ronald Goldsmith died in 2016 after fleeing to Tanzania in 2012, reportedly with troubling plans to work with disadvantaged children.
Goldsmith, a trainee Catholic priest-turned-successful insurer, was jailed in 2005 for sexually abusing 20 teenage boys aged between 13 and 16.
While settled in the North-West, he committed offences against boys from that area between 1974 and 1985 while coaching athletics at Marist Regional College in Burnie.
In a lengthy article published by The Mercury shortly after his death titled; ‘No Tears for a Dead Monster’, A father and uncle to three of Goldsmith’s victims expressed relief after learning of his death.
“When someone dies you’re not supposed to be happy, but I am,” the unnamed family member said.
“It was the end of a long journey for us, my boys and myself.
“They just hope he suffered like they suffered.”
It was revealed that Goldsmith would ply impressionable teenagers with cigarettes, alcohol and allowed them to drive his car with personalised number plates PG1111.
Goldsmith would reportedly boast to his victims about business successes and his high-roller lifestyle as the national executive of the Life Underwriters Association.
Reports said he also exhibited a large bowl of money on a table in his Port Sorell home to impress them.
Goldsmith almost slipped through the fingers of authorities before he was nabbed in Perth getting ready to board a flight for Tanzania.
He was then extradited to Tasmania to face 62 charges.
Goldsmith initially pleaded not guilty and faced a committal hearing.
Charges in relation to using a drug to facilitate his crimes and possessing child abuse material were dropped when he changed his plea to guilty on 42 sexual assault charges.
Goldsmith was sentenced in the Supreme Court to six and a half years in December 2005 and paroled after four years.
He reportedly bragged to inmates while in Risdon Prison about wanting to work with children and where he also learnt Swahili.
When his parole finished Goldsmith left for Tanzania.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade never revealed the cause of Goldsmith’s death.
LOUIS VICTOR DANIELS
CONVICTED
Louis Victor Daniels was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years jail after pleading guilty to 13 charges of sex-related offences with 10 boys aged between 11 and 17.
The crimes happened in Tasmania between January 1974 and December 1993.
Daniels was sentenced in relation to maintaining a sexual relationship and acts of indecent assault after being extradited from Canberra – where he worked as an information officer at the University of Canberra – to face the charges.
Justice Slicer told the court that Daniels, 57 at the time, exhibited predatory behaviour and persisted to abuse boys, despite their resistance.
“He was well aware that his conduct was abhorrent to both the social values and tenets of his religion,” Justice Slicer said.
Daniels, once a deacon and priest, used his position to commit the crimes, the court heard.
The court also heard Daniels was abused as a child and has previously served a 12-month prison sentence in 1999 for sexual misconduct.
Anglican Bishop of Tasmania at the time, Reverend John Harrower, said he expressed sadness for the actions of Daniels.
“I want to again apologise to any people who may have been abused by past Tasmanian church leaders,” he said.
The Mercury reported in May 2004 that Brett Skipper, a victim of Daniels, committed suicide shortly after a “long and difficult” court battle with the Anglican Church in which he was claiming damages for pain and suffering at the hands of the church, Daniels and another priest.
Mr Skipper signed a settlement offer of more than $60,000 just hours before taking his own life, the Mercury reported.
STEVEN ERROL EDWARDS
CONVICTED
Steven Errol Edwards, from Waverley in Launceston’s outer suburbs, was sentenced to three years and six months starting in February 2007 for a range of sexual offences against four young boys and girls.
Edwards, 45 at the time of sentencing, was found guilty on two counts of committing an indecent act with a person under 17 years, and one of committing indecent assault.
The court heard that on one occasion, Edwards grabbed one of his victim’s hands and placed it on his penis.
The court heard Edwards started abusing his victims when he was 19 and continued to do so until a complainant came forward in 2004.
Justice Ewan Crawford described Edwards as an emotional immature man who appeared to have some intellectual difficulties.
“I infer that he turned to children because of a personal inadequacy relating to adults,” Justice Crawford told the Launceston Supreme Court before ordering Edwards to serve at least one year and nine months before he could apply for parole.
MARK ANTHONY FOX
CONVICTED
Mark Anthony Fox, who raped a 15-year-old girl he met through a phone chat service was jailed for more than three years in June 2010.
Fox, 26 at the time, of Berriedale, climbed out of his bedroom window while his fiancee was sleeping to meet up with the 15-year-old girl on November 9, 2009.
The Hobart Supreme Court heard the girl regularly used the mobile phone chat service, which allows users to send text messages to strangers.
Fox and his victim texted for a few days and the girl invited him to meet her at her friend’s house at Moonah.
The court heard he arrived at the house about 1.30am and according to the reports from the sentence; “It would have been immediately obvious that the diminutive girl was only 15.”
They talked in the loungeroom where Fox was asked to leave by his victim stating she was tired.
He either did not hear or ignored her and stayed where he was, the court heard.
When the girl got into bed on a mattress on the floor Fox joined her and raped her.
The court heard the girl froze because of past sexual abuse she had endured, but when it was over she ran to her friend’s room.
Fox left before police were called and later denied everything.
His fiancee initially gave Fox an alibi, but she later admitted to police that she had woken up about 2.30am to find Fox missing.
Fox later pleaded guilty to rape.
Justice David Porter said Fox chose to do what he wanted without any regard or care for the wishes of his “vulnerable” young victim.
The court heard she suffered bruising to her neck where Fox bit her.
“At the time she was suffering from depression because of the previous sexual abuse and was prone to self-harm,” Justice Porter said.
“This incident has made things worse for her.”
Fox was sentenced to three years and three months in jail but with parole eligibility after 20 months.
ADAM CHARLES JOSE
CONVICTED
A predatory Hobart dance teacher was sentenced to five years’ jail two sexual relationships with girls under the age of 17 in December, 2015.
Adam Charles Jose, who at one stage owned and operated his family’s dance school – the Jose Dance Force School – developed relationships with his victims from his position as a teacher.
Now closed, the school had 160 to 180 students at the time of the offences.
Justice Robert Pearce told the court in sentencing Jose’s actions had shamed, ostracised and isolated his victims, both of whom required counselling after the events.
First count of maintaining a sexual relationship with a girl aged under 17 was in relation to a three-year long sexual relationship a student.
The court heard Jose used favouritism, personal dancing tips and text messages to build a relationship with his victim before starting a sexual relationship.
Jose maintained a sexual relationship with a girl over 12 months which summarised the second count. At this time, Jose was the owner / operator of the dance school.
The court heard Jose and his victim engaged in about 30 non-penetrative sexual acts over the year-long period.
Justice Pearce described Jose as a man who abused his position of power to prey on young and vulnerable girls.
Jose was given parole eligibility 30 months from the date of his sentencing and remains on the sex offenders register for at least another 10 years.
PETER JOHN O’NEILL
CONVICTED, SENTENCE SUSPENDED
An obese paedophile who molested young boys while he was teaching at Glenorchy’s Dominic College, Burnie High School and Hobart’s St Virgil’s College during the 1980s had his five year prison sentence wholly suspended earlier this year. .
Peter John O’Neill, 61, pleaded guilty to six counts of indecent assault and one of penetrative sexual abuse relating to six children.
Extradition plans for O’Neill, who now lives in Canberra, fell flat due the medical transport costs and the inability to cart him to Hobart via land and sea amid COVID-19 restrictions.
O’Neill’s victims ranged in age from 10-15, with most remaining silent for decades, the Supreme Court of Tasmania the court heard
Chief Justice Alan Blow said O’Neill’s “predatory behaviour towards vulnerable boys” was an abuse of his responsibilities as a teacher.
The impact his acts had on his victims resulted were vast including; disrupting their education, continued distrust of others, difficulty finding work, suicidal ideations and homelessness.
The court heard, O’Neill’s parents abandoned him and his sister at just 3 years old and he was abused by a relative at the age of 7 or 8.
The court heard he had no close friends and sought the company of boys during his time in Tasmania.
O’Neill, now reportedly 140kg, suffers from severe degeneration of the lumbar spine, spinal stenosis, chronic pain and difficulty breathing, and has a full time carer through the NDIS scheme and required help to get out of bed and for personal hygiene.
The court heard he was unable to stand for more than two minutes.
Chief Justice Blow said returning O’Neill to Tasmania and imposing a prison sentence would be “pointless.”
“He deserves to spend a long time in prison,” he said.
“With his immobility, incontinence and other medical conditions, his life is now probably far more miserable than most prisoners.”
Since his sentencing, almost 35,000 people signed a petition created by former Dominic student Rachel Grgurevic, urging the Department of Public Prosecution to appeal against the sentence, and to make arrangements for O’Neill to be extradited back to Hobart.
A condition on O’Neill’s sentence requires him to not commit another jailable offence for 10 years.
DARREL GEORGE HARINGTON
CONVICTED
Hobart paedophile and former teacher Darrel George Harington has accusations and offences dating back to the 1970s.
Not only was he able to keep teaching, but he was promoted to positions which he was underqualified for and moved within the education department.
The report uncovered Harington taught in Tasmanian schools since beginning his career at age 21 in 1973. It was his first year in the job when the first of what would become numerous child sex allegations arose – which he fought in Hobart Criminal Court.
Harington was acquitted of two counts of indecent practice after arguing he’d been intimidated by police into a confession.
Harington was seconded to work at CSIRO’s new Science Centre as an education officer in October that year.
In this job, Harington was responsible for running the “Double Helix Club” – a science group for young people – and was promoted to Science Centre manager the following year.
After almost seven years with CSIRO, the organisation set out a list of protocols for Harington to follow, including rules that he only work with groups of five or more students, and to have another adult present if a child was required to visit his home.
After numerous violations of protocols and other accusations Harington was transferred to another school in May, 2000.
In 2001, he was moved to Rosetta High School and Ogilvie High School.
The Mercury reported that court documents showed the education department placed Harington at Ogilvie – an all-girls school – to restrict his access to male students.
In 2003, Harington’s Teacher Registration was refused by the Board. An appeal hearing heard of children staying overnight at Harington’s home, sexual jokes told around students, and being naked or showering in front of them.
In 2015, Harington confessed to molesting nine boys – aged between 12 and 15 – between 1978 and 2013.
The court heard he met his victims while working at New Town High School, the CSIRO and running his own fitness centre as a massage therapist.
He was jailed for 7 years until the Department of Public Prosecutions successfully appealed his “manifestly inadequate” sentence in 2017.
His sentence was increased to 12 years, with a non-parole period of seven years.
MARCUS JAMES POLLARD
CONVICTED
Former Rose Bay High science teacher, Marcus James Pollard, was jailed earlier this year for sexually abusing a student in the 1990s, committing the offences in a photography darkroom after months of “slow and steady grooming”.
On October 29 this year, The Supreme Court of Tasmania heard Pollard – 63 at the time of his sentencing – first targeted his 15-year-old victim while teaching at Rose Bay High School.
Pollard frequently brushed up against and touched the girl at school, often chatted to her on the telephone, before it became kissing her in his office.
Chief Justice Alan Blow told the court that Pollard’s touching of the girl slowly became sexual in a “gradual escalation”.
The court also heard that Pollard and his victim had an encounter in his tent during a school camp and he even drove the teen to his home during the summer school holidays.
But it was his victim who ended the relationship, the court heard.
“She did so as a result of another teacher telling her that it had been noticed that she and Mr Pollard were spending a lot of time together, and that was not normal,” Chief Justice Blow said.
The court heard the sexual abuse – while unlawful sexual acts that occurred on five occasions – stopped short of sexual intercourse.
Pollard pleaded guilty to persistent sexual abuse of a young person and was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment with a parole eligibility after 18 months.
His name has been placed on the sex offenders register for four years.
CHRIS DOUGLAS STEPHENS
CONVICTED
Chris Douglas Stephens had sex with a teenage girl, resulting in a terminated pregnancy, was jailed for five months after pleading guilty to one count of sexual intercourse with a young person under the age of 17 years in 2011.
Chief Justice Ewan Crawford told the court that at the time of the offence, the girl was 15 years old and Stephens was 37.
Stephens had become a friend of the girl and her family, and she and her sister came to his home to play with a puppy and watch cable television, the court heard.
The girl’s parents trusted Stephens as a friend because he had a daughter of the same age, Chief Justice Crawford said.
Stephens and the girl ended up in his bed where they had sex.
Stephens admitted what had happened to the girl’s parents but denied having had intercourse when police became involved. His denial continued until evidence produced showed he was the father of the unborn child.
“He pleaded guilty once he had been charged. It is said he demonstrated remorse to her family but he did not demonstrate it to police and I accept the submission by counsel that the plea of guilty came about in recognition of an overwhelming case against him,” Justice Crawford said.
Stephens was sentenced to five months’ jail and his was placed on the sex offenders’ register.
ADRIAN JOHN PRYER
CONVICTED
On July 4 2014, Adrian John Pryer, 50 at the time of sentencing, faced the Launceston Supreme Court for historical sex offences against a child – who was 11 or 12 at the time.
Pryer contested that he had maintained a sexual relationship with a young person about 25 years prior.
A jury acquitted Pryer of that charge, but found him guilty of two counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a young person.
At trial, the Crown alleged six unlawful sexual acts happened between the two in the late 1980s.
Justice Robert Pearce jailed Pryer for 12 months to serve six before he was eligible for parole while reportedly noting Pryer had not expressed remorse.
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