Post by battlestar on Sept 30, 2012 6:32:19 GMT 11
A paedophile was given parental responsibility for 19 Aboriginal children by a government department that knew he was suspected of sexually abusing boys when he was scout leader in the 1990s.
Steven Andrew Larkins, former chief executive of the Hunter Aboriginal Children's Services (HACS), was convicted of child sexual assault and fraud charges and sentenced to jail after being caught with child porn last month.
The NSW Department of Family and Community Services knew the 46-year-old was suspected of abusing young boys, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
When Larkins applied for a 'working with children check' in 2003 he was deemed a 'medium risk' and was not cleared to work unsupervised with children.
But the department did not tell the board or any other managers at HACS of its findings and Larkins himself was the only person informed about his classification.
This enabled Larkins to forge a document saying he had been cleared to work with children and obtain his position as chief of HACS, with responsibility for 19 children in the group's care over nine years.
This week the department admitted it failed to follow standard procedures by not informing anyone of Larkins' risk status.
The new chief executive of HACS Terry Chenery said Larkins had access to the children alone and outside of work but there was no "substantiated evidence" indicating he behaved inappropriately with them.
After a fellow employee found child abuse images on Larkins' USB stick a police investigation was launched and he was eventually charged with aggravated indecent assault of an 11-year-old boy in 1992 and a 12-year-old boy in 1997.
He was sentenced to nine months jail for four counts of possessing child abuse material and a 12-month minimum sentence for forging working with children documents.
The sentence has been stayed pending an appeal, set to be mentioned in Newcastle District Court on November 15.
Larkins is not contesting the three-year good behaviour bond handed down for the assaults on the two boys.
news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8540609/paedophile-allowed-to-care-for-19-kids
Letting a known pedo care for kids is mind boggling. 
Steven Andrew Larkins, former chief executive of the Hunter Aboriginal Children's Services (HACS), was convicted of child sexual assault and fraud charges and sentenced to jail after being caught with child porn last month.
The NSW Department of Family and Community Services knew the 46-year-old was suspected of abusing young boys, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.
When Larkins applied for a 'working with children check' in 2003 he was deemed a 'medium risk' and was not cleared to work unsupervised with children.
But the department did not tell the board or any other managers at HACS of its findings and Larkins himself was the only person informed about his classification.
This enabled Larkins to forge a document saying he had been cleared to work with children and obtain his position as chief of HACS, with responsibility for 19 children in the group's care over nine years.
This week the department admitted it failed to follow standard procedures by not informing anyone of Larkins' risk status.
The new chief executive of HACS Terry Chenery said Larkins had access to the children alone and outside of work but there was no "substantiated evidence" indicating he behaved inappropriately with them.
After a fellow employee found child abuse images on Larkins' USB stick a police investigation was launched and he was eventually charged with aggravated indecent assault of an 11-year-old boy in 1992 and a 12-year-old boy in 1997.
He was sentenced to nine months jail for four counts of possessing child abuse material and a 12-month minimum sentence for forging working with children documents.
The sentence has been stayed pending an appeal, set to be mentioned in Newcastle District Court on November 15.
Larkins is not contesting the three-year good behaviour bond handed down for the assaults on the two boys.
news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8540609/paedophile-allowed-to-care-for-19-kids
Letting a known pedo care for kids is mind boggling. 