Senior Tasmanian police officer groomed more than 50 boys and young men, final report finds
A final report into a senior Tasmanian police officer who took his own life while being investigated for multiple child sexual abuse offences has found he groomed more than 50 young boys over a 30-year period. Former war crimes prosecutor Regina Weiss described the offending as truly shocking and found police prioritised the deceased officer's reputation over the safety of children.
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00:00Paul Reynolds took his own life in 2018 when he was being investigated for child sexual
00:07abuse offences.
00:09He was still given a full police funeral, something Commissioner Donna Adams has since
00:14apologised for.
00:16I'm deeply sorry for the trauma and pain that every individual has experienced.
00:23And I want to acknowledge that I understand that some of the trauma continues today.
00:29These crimes were completely unforgivable and a complete breach of trust.
00:35And it's my commitment to do better.
00:38The investigation ended after his death, and many in the police force and community had
00:43no clue about the truth.
00:45His offending only became public five years later, during a coronial inquest.
00:51The independent review was announced last year.
00:54It heard from 15 victim-survivors of Reynolds, and has found up to 52 males, at a minimum,
01:01were groomed by him over a 30-year period, with some resulting in sexual abuse.
01:08The report found Reynolds used his standing as a police officer to groom the boys, their
01:13families and the community.
01:16Victim-survivors spoke about how Reynolds created this perception that he had the power
01:21to influence the outcome of criminal processes.
01:24For example, one time he produced a fake police complaint to coerce a victim-survivor into
01:30performing a sexual act.
01:32However, Reynolds predominantly met the boys through sport.
01:36A report was made to the Northern Tasmanian Football Association board members in 2018
01:42about Reynolds' inappropriate conduct, including someone witnessing him massaging a teenage
01:47boy.
01:49But it wasn't reported to police or any other agency.
01:52The review heard the association went on to pay for his wake.
01:56Police did receive a report back in 2008 from interstate officers who overheard local police
02:02describing Reynolds as a pedophile.
02:05No investigation was pursued.
02:08The report made five recommendations, including setting up a redress scheme for victim-survivors
02:14and improving ties between police and sporting organisations.
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