Paedophile sentenced over abusing boys after police found his diary

Read Time:2 Minute, 38 Second

A paedophile who abused vulnerable boys at the home where he volunteered will spend another eight months in prison before being eligible for release, as a judge cast doubt on his claims he is no longer attracted to children.

Brien William Peckover, 72, got away with historical abuse for decades and expected to never get caught, the judge sentencing him said.

He was going to be eligible for parole in March, but now faces a longer wait after pleading guilty on two charges of indecently assaulting a teenage boy sometime between 1982 and 1984.

Watch the latest news and stream for free on 7plus >>

Peckover was already jailed for at least six years in 2020 for sexually abusing three others under his care in the 1970s and 1980s while volunteering at a home for “uncontrollable” boys, abusing his position of trust and authority over vulnerable children.

“Those other victims were also exploited based on their placement in the boys’ home,” Judge Nicole Noman said, sentencing Peckover in the NSW District Court on Thursday.

His guilty pleas secured him a discount on his sentence, and he is now eligible for parole on November 10, 2024.

The court heard Peckover is a paedophile, however has reported a change in outlook, claiming he independently cured a “mostly untreatable” psychosexual disorder and is no longer attracted to children.

“I am doubtful,” Judge Noman said, adding another eight months before Peckover is eligible for release from prison.

Peckover appeared on the court’s screens from custody, keeping his head down as the judge detailed his offending and calculated the extra time he will serve.

“That is possibly of most interest at the moment,” Judge Noman told him.

Peckover did appear interested, speaking up to ask the judge to clarify the date he would be eligible for release, producing a notebook.

He was charged in February 2018 after admitting a number of sexual assaults, speaking to an undercover police officer pretending to be one of the boys he abused.

The indecent assaults he was sentenced for on Thursday were charged in 2021, after the boy’s name was found in Peckover’s diary.

Judge Noman said the delay was not uncommon in cases of child sexual abuse.

“He would have expected he avoided detection until his arrest,” she said.

The court heard Peckover has been assaulted and injured twice in custody, is old, away from family, and served time during the onerous conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The judge made a finding of special circumstances when calculating Peckover’s aggregate sentence of two years and nine months with a non-parole period of one year and 10 months.

It was backdated to Peckover’s arrest, when he was already in prison.

If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.