Vic: Paedophile teacher jailed for sex abuse of students

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2001
Vic: Paedophile teacher jailed for sex abuse of students

MELBOURNE, Feb 15 AAP - A paedophile teacher was today jailed for the sexual abuse
of pupils which began more than 30 years ago.

Victorian County Court judge David Jones told the now retired 59-year-old Darryl (Darryl)
Ray the passage of time was irrelevant and an immediate custodial sentence was called
for.

Judge Jones jailed Ray for 44 months and fixed a non-parole term of 17 months.

The court heard that Ray was a teacher-librarian at primary schools in Moorabbin and
Beaumaris in Melbourne when he molested 18 children between 1967 and 1976.

The offences came to light when one of Ray's victims, years later in 1998, decided
to confront Ray.

He also contacted other pupils and alerted the police.

As a result Ray was charged with sex offences in the magistrates court. He pleaded
guilty and received a suspended sentence.

However, the Office of Prosecutions appealed against the sentence on the grounds that
the case should have been heard in a higher court.

The appeal succeeded. The sentence was quashed and the case sent to the County Court.

Ray pleaded guilty in the County Court to 27 counts of indecent assault involving
boys who were born between the late 1950s and the mid-60s.

A previous magistrates' court hearing was told that one of Ray's victims became so
obsessed with bringing his childhood tormentor to justice that he began a stalking campaign
against him.

The man, who cannot be named, had pleaded guilty to six counts of stalking and will
be dealt with by the magistrates court on a date to be fixed.

Judge Jones said he noted that Ray had not offended since 1976 and had since then voluntarily
been on medication to subdue his sexual impulses.

But, the judge said, Ray had preyed on trusting innocent victims.

He said Ray, as a friendly and approachable teacher, had been able to influence and
control his victims who at the time found it impossible to anything about their experiences.

AAP sew/jlw/cjh/sb

KEYWORD: RAY

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