- Dec 27, 2016
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What a terrible betrayal where nearly everybody in the town was suspicious, he offended for over thirty years.
An interim report by former war crimes prosecutor Regina Weiss into Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds' conduct, found he groomed and sexually abused teenage boys between 1988 and 2018, largely in the state's north and north-west.
It found the former police officer, football coach and administrator, and basketball umpire used his positions to groom "his victims, their parents and the small communities they lived in".
Victim-survivors told the review that Senior Sergeant Reynolds' respected position in the community made it "near impossible" to speak out about his offending.
A boy subjected to abuse more than 30 years ago told Ms Weiss "who would believe me?"
Another victim-survivor said they "wouldn't even have known who I could report to".
"Who polices the police?"
One victim-survivor described Senior Sergeant Reynolds as "just the greatest groomer".
"He was so charismatic, everyone wanted to be around him," they said.
www.abc.net.au
- In short: An interim report has found former police officer Paul Reynolds used his job and positions in community sport to abuse teenage boys over three decades.
- Victim-survivors told an independent review his position of authority in the community made it nearly impossible to speak out about Senior Sergeant Reynolds' offending.
- What's next? A final report making findings and recommendations will be handed to Tasmania's Police Commissioner in June.
An interim report by former war crimes prosecutor Regina Weiss into Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds' conduct, found he groomed and sexually abused teenage boys between 1988 and 2018, largely in the state's north and north-west.
It found the former police officer, football coach and administrator, and basketball umpire used his positions to groom "his victims, their parents and the small communities they lived in".
Victim-survivors told the review that Senior Sergeant Reynolds' respected position in the community made it "near impossible" to speak out about his offending.
A boy subjected to abuse more than 30 years ago told Ms Weiss "who would believe me?"
Another victim-survivor said they "wouldn't even have known who I could report to".
"Who polices the police?"
One victim-survivor described Senior Sergeant Reynolds as "just the greatest groomer".
"He was so charismatic, everyone wanted to be around him," they said.
Former police officer used positions of authority to abuse children for three decades, report finds
A Tasmanian police officer who died by suicide while under investigation is described as a "charismatic" groomer in a review that details three decades of offending.
www.abc.net.au
