Nowhere to hide for ‘vile monsters’: SA to launch child sex offender registry
South Australians will be able to find public information about child sex offenders later this month as part of the government’s broader crackdown on criminals.
A digital database of information about child sex offenders in South Australia will go live on February 16 as part of the state government’s tough child sex offender laws.
The new site will enable parents and community members to apply to view photos of child sex offenders living in their area.
It will also allow parents or guardians to seek information about individuals who have regular unsupervised contact with their children.
“If you are a vile monster, you have nowhere to hide,” Deputy Premier and Attorney-General Kyam Maher said today.
It is part of the government’s broader reform to child sex offender laws, including indefinite detention of repeat serious child sex offenders, banning offenders from working alongside child employees and increased penalties for a series of offences like gross indecency.
The government also closed sentencing and bail loopholes so that people found with child pornography or child-like sex dolls are not treated less harshly than other serious sexual offenders.
Maher said South Australian parents have “the right to know if a dangerous predator lives in the area”.
“And parents also deserve to know if someone with a history of child sex offending has regular, unsupervised contact with their child.”
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The platform will operate under a three-tier disclosure scheme, with the public able to view images and information of ‘Wanted Child Sex Offenders’; those that are non-compliant with reporting obligations and whose whereabouts are unknown.
The second tier will allow eligible applicants to apply to see an image of any serious child sex offenders living in their area, while the third tier allows a parent or guardian to apply to check whether a person of concern, who has unsupervised contact with their child for three or more days a year, is a registered sex offender.
“These reforms will help protect our children and keep parents and the broader community better informed,” Maher said.
