COMMUNITIES should have access to more information about child sex offenders according to Australia’s leading child protection advocate Bravehearts.

Following the arrest of a man in Port Douglas on June 21 for allegedly holding thousands of images of child pornography, Newsport can reveal the 32-year-old had already appeared in a South Australian court on previous aggravated child pornography charges.

Bravehearts criminologist Carol Ronken said due to the leniency of Australian courts to detain dangerous sex offenders, it was time the current privacy legislation be expanded to allow for a level of community notification.

She advocated for a model similar to what Western Australia has adopted, which provides the public with access to information relating to released dangerous and repeat child sex offenders.

“We believe the right of the children and the community generally outweigh the rights of offenders,” Ronken told Newsport.

“We believe there should be restricted notification relating to repeat and dangerous sex offenders. This should include the offenders name and any aliases, their date of birth, their image and the offences they had been convicted for.”

It’s something recently elected Senator and controversial former broadcaster Derryn Hinch has been campaigning about for 20 years; only his model is more straightforward. He wants every single person on Australia’s current sex offender registry made public, and wants the information made available to everyone.

“Americans have had this system for 20 years,” he told news.com.au yesterday.

“The American system is so good that they even have an app. I’ve stood in Times Square and used it. You punch in the location and up pop 15 flags of convicted sex offenders living within 2km of where you are standing.

“The app gives you their name, their photograph, their home address, their criminal history and their sentence. Our model should look the same.”

The US adopted 'Megan’s Law' in 1996 under president Bill Clinton after a seven-year-old girl, Megan Kanka, was raped and murdered by a convicted sex offender. The law requires police to release information about registered sex offenders to the public, including their name, picture, current address, imprisonment date and crime.

Queensland child safety ambassadors Bruce and Denise Morcombe agree with Hinch and have been tirelessly advocating for a public register under what's become known as Daniel's Law. Their son Daniel was kidnapped and murdered in 2003 by repeat child sex offender Brett Peter Cowan.

Ronken, however, believes the unrestricted US system is flawed and she does not support releasing the address of offenders.

“Evidence from overseas jurisdictions where there are open community notification law such as Megan’s Law… has shown there are unintended consequences that impact on the effectiveness of the legislation and the potential for community safety,” she said.

“One of the major issues is that offenders disappear, they don’t want to be known in their communities, so they stop registering, they go underground and then the police lose track of where they are.”

Detective Senior Sargent Mick Gooike, from the Cairns Child Protection Investigation Unit who seized more than 8400 videos and images of child exploitation material from a Port Douglas property a fortnight ago, said under the current Child Protection (Offender Reporting) Act only the Police Commissioner could authorise the release of information.

"The Child Protection Act does not allow the release of any information relating to information held on the register,” he said.

Ronken said awareness and education remain two of the most important tools for protecting children and young people. 

Bravehearts adopts a 3 Piers to Prevention model in its educational programs to educate, empower and protect. It aims to halve the number of Australian children sexually assaulted by 2020, with tougher sentencing for repeat child sex offenders and mandatory reporting obligations for childcare providers just two of their key recommendations.

For more information on the 3 Piers to Prevention visit the Bravehearts website www.bravehearts.org.au.

Should Australia adopt Megan's Law? Have your say in the comments below.

* Those seeking support or advice on child sexual assault can contact Bravehearts toll free on 1800 272 831