A convicted paedophile released on Wednesday after 12 years in prison will be under close scrutiny from the probation service for a further eight and a-half years.
In the Dunedin District Court yesterday, Judge Paul Kellar granted an application for extended supervision for Ronald John Hannagan (50), saying he was satisfied the order was necessary to protect members of the community.
Hannagan's crimes involved eight girls and boys under the age of 16.
The offending, most of which occurred in Dunedin and Oamaru, dates back to 1975, when Hannagan was 16 and included the abuse of a family member and the child of a former de facto partner.
Reports to the court from a health assessor showed Hannagan had a history of minimising his offending and not accepting responsibility for it, Judge Kellar said.
He was assessed with a high risk of reoffending using three acknowledged psychological tests, including the automated sexual recidivism scale.
The assessment showed Hannagan, an alcoholic, had limited insight into, or skill to manage, his offending.
He had also been deemed unsuitable to undertake a special prison treatment programme for sexual offenders.
"He appears to have no insight into the situations he needs to avoid and the substances he needs to avoid.
"The likelihood of his reoffending is high.
"He is not a one-off offender with strong indications of rehabilitation," Judge Kellar said.
Appearing for the Department of Corrections, Craig Power sought a supervision period of nine or 10 years, saying Hannagan's risk of reoffending was "at the top end of the range".
He had told the health assessor he intended to breach his parole conditions, possibly by drinking alcohol, so he could be sent back to prison.
For Hannagan, Brian Kilkelly said his client accepted he had said that, but was upset at the thought that he might be supervised for 10 years.
"He has already spent almost 12 years in prison and was looking at 10 years' supervision.
"That is 22 years minimum.
"When confronted with that possibility he made what was a fatalistic comment."
His client did not want any extended supervision but accepted it was inevitable, Mr Kilkelly said.
"He's saying `I want time in the community to show the department, the court and the community that I can live responsibly in the community if you give me a chance'," Mr Kilkelly said.
Judge Kellar said the incentive for Hannagan was that if he proved he could live responsibly in the community without reoffending or breaching his release conditions, he could apply to have the order cancelled.
Extended supervision orders
● Sought by the chief executive of the Department of Corrections on the release from prison of child sex offenders assessed with high risk of reoffending.
● Maximum term available 10 years.
● Offenders closely monitored by probation service for term of order.
● Monitoring includes where offenders can live, who they can live with and where they can work.
● Must report to probation service regularly.
● Must get permission before moving addresses or changing jobs.
● Must not associate with children under 16 unless accompanied by an approved adult.
● Offenders or the department can apply at any time to cancel an order on grounds offender is no longer likely to commit a relevant offence.
