"While there are some offenders within homes, by far the most dangerous predators are those who target large numbers of children over a long period of time"

Some? Most offenders are in homes and live in amongst us all in nice middle-class suburbia. That is because MOST child-sex offenders are known to their victims. They are usually a parent, a step-parent or other close family member. As the law in most jurisdictions protects the identity of sexual assault complainants, the offenders are inadvertently afforded protection too as revealing their identity will, in turn, indentify their child victim.

To assert that the predatory offender is "most dangerous" seems to suggest that the sufferings of the victims of incest are somehow diminished when compared to the child-victims of the stranger. I am sure that incest victims would proffer a different view.

I am not condoning Ferguson’s behaviour. His assaults were abhorrent and readers could have been spared the titillating extra details about his assault on those children. In the words of one of his former lawyers, he does look like "a kiddie fiddler from central casting. It makes it easy for the pitchfork waving mobs to single him out while the vast majority of child sex offenders -- the nice family man who wear a suit to church, the bloke who owns the auto-repair business you have used for years, the lad who makes your latte each morning -- are living amongst us incognito.

"Outback or isolated rural prison farms or island prisons - with no internet connections - would be suitable." If you want to do something productive, go find this suitable isolated location.

Convincing us that Ferguson's crimes were terrible and that children should be safe achieved nothing.

Othello Cat,
Well said. I to have long felt that the 'in-house preditors' are in a way 'protected' and, considering their level of trust held by their victims, they should be shot if what has happened to DF is any type of benchmark.

It's just a pitty that the author has to show here true colours, much like the presenter of the four corners programe. Gernos should be nutral otherwise they tend to influence to many situatons.

The fact remains that he has done his time and, if members of the public are unhappy with the sentence, then lobby the law makers as it is they who determined the sentence.

Also, it is quite obvious that the authorities went on a 'witch hunt' to get this guy with regards to the incident in Dalby, as there has been no mention what so ever, publicly, about arresting the person who has been suggested as the perpitrator.

It seems that they couldn't get DF so they have dropped their bundle.

It seems much of the debate focuses on where convicted pedophiles live once they are released from prison. If the majority of the population do not want these people to live among them, then it seems the right thing to do is to increase prison sentences for convicted pedophiles.

Personally the minimum I would be satisfied with is life (i.e. until no-longer living) in prison. I am often surprised when I hear of the lenient sentencing for such terrible crimes. Where can we find more information on the average prison sentences for various crimes and who do we petition to change them?

Stezza,
You may have a very valid point, but, the fact remains that this guy has done his time and should be left alone.

As for tougher sentencing, I think that is already here and the changes to 'the sex offenders act' was yet another 're-active' reaction from government when they suddenly realised that DF was about to be released.

They claim themselves that offenders are sent to prison to be rehabilitated, yet, if they were actively trying to rehabilitate him they would have been aware of his pending release and, would have acted in time so that his situation would have been much different.

Notwithstanding this, I still have doubt as to whether a persn can be sentenced on one set of laws, then have their sentence alterered mid stream.

Now if the authorities were doing their job, the job they are paid to do, why then did they forget this guy was being released until it was to late?

Quite obviously, nobody cared about him while he was in prison. The old 'out of sight, out of mind', I think!

This is one of the few times I agree 100% with rehctub. He summarised it pretty well.