Dennis Ferguson
Encyclopedia
Dennis Raymond Ferguson (born 5 February 1948) is an Australia
n man convicted of child sexual abuse
. In 1988, he kidnapped and sexually abused three children, and was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment. Ferguson was forced on numerous occasions to relocate his residence from various locations around Australia, due to public hostility and news media
attention.
after being convicted on multiple fraud charges.
After being released from Long Bay Jail in July 1987, Ferguson, then aged 40, and his 23-year-old male lover, Alexandria George Brookes, abducted three children, two boys and a girl, from Sydney
. Ferguson had previously got to know the children's father, who was a fellow inmate in Long Bay Jail, and Ferguson was told that the children had previously been sexually abused. Ferguson and Brookes flew the children to Brisbane
, and sexually assaulted them in a house in the Brisbane suburb of Kedron
. The following night, Ferguson and Brookes moved the three children to a motel in the suburb of Ascot
, where they again abused the children. Police arrested Ferguson and Brookes at the motel, where they found Ferguson naked with the children. Ferguson told police, "I can help you. Pornography. Kiddy porn, I can get you kiddy porn." Ferguson claimed he was innocent, accusing one of the boys he molested of committing the crimes, but a jury found him guilty of all counts of abduction and assault of the three children. He was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment, by a judge who noted there was no chance he would be rehabilitated.
While in jail he refused to take part in rehabilitation programs, and attempted to obtain police photographs of his victims under the Freedom of Information Act. An order was obtained requiring Ferguson to report his whereabouts to police after fellow inmates reported plans by him to molest the eight-year old daughter of the family with whom he would reside after being released.
In 2003, New South Wales Police surveillance located Ferguson in Parramatta Public School. Ferguson was forbidden from entering schools, and claimed he was distributing cleaning products for groups needing to raise funds. A court convicted him under the NSW Child Protection Offenders Registration Act, and he was sentenced to a further 15 months' prison in the John Morony Correctional Centre
. He was released in December 2004.
The following year, in November 2005, Ferguson was charged with sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl at her home in the Queensland town of Dalby
. In a rare legal move, the judge granted Ferguson a bench trial
(without a jury), as he considered Ferguson would not receive a fair trial by jury, due to the enormous amount of media coverage. The judge found that while the girl had been molested while Ferguson and fellow convicted child sexual abuser Allan Guy had been at her house, it could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt that Ferguson had been responsible, rather than Guy, and that he should be released. The girl had clearly identified 'Dennis' as the perpetrator of her abuse.
, due to public pressure and media attention. Angry residents forced him to flee the towns of Bundaberg
, Toowoomba
and Murgon
. In February 2005, he settled in Ipswich
with another pedophile, but was again found by neighbours and the media. There were reports of rocks being thrown at his house. A judge awarded Ferguson $2,250 in compensation from an invalid Ipswich pensioner who pled guilty to threatening him. Other protests have been more peaceable.
In July 2008, he moved to a rural property near Miles, Queensland
, but after word of his location spread, cars began to arrive at the property, and the police were called after 60 people began chanting anti-Ferguson slogans.
In 2009, he moved into a public housing
apartment in the Sydney suburb of Ryde
where he was given a five-year lease. Some residents of the area were outraged at Ferguson's presence, after news organisations revealed where he was living- near a primary school and playgrounds. Angry males shouted on the street, and police found a Molotov cocktail
near Ferguson's apartment building; Ferguson claims that one man broke into his house and assaulted him. By 2010, neighbours had forced him to leave Ryde.
New South Wales Police attempted to obtain a court order banning Ferguson from public pools and parks, after he began frequenting a pool during primary school children's swimming lessons. While the safety order was denied by a judge, they did succeed in obtaining an order requiring him to notify the child protection authority before engaging in charity activities that would put him in contact with childen - a precaution that was prompted after he was spotted selling children's toys for a charity for which he had registered using his middle name, Ray. Ferguson had been selling them without a legally mandated permit and police approval.
A program set up by the government agency Centrelink
to reunite missing persons was suspended indefinitely in September 2009, after it was discovered that Dennis Ferguson had accessed the service to reunite with his 1987 criminal accomplice, Alexandria George Brookes.
under Premier Nathan Rees
moved to introduce legislation to allow the government to evict child sex offenders from public housing
. Critics dubbed the legislation the Dennis Ferguson Act, and said it was created as a result of the state government caving in to vigilantism
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n man convicted of child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
. In 1988, he kidnapped and sexually abused three children, and was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment. Ferguson was forced on numerous occasions to relocate his residence from various locations around Australia, due to public hostility and news media
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
attention.
Criminal history
According to court records, Dennis Ferguson's pre-1987 criminal history contains "many convictions for false pretences, various assaults on children and indecent assaults on females", including five convictions for child molestation. In 1987 Ferguson was imprisoned in Long Bay JailLong Bay Correctional Centre
Long Bay Correctional Complex is located in the suburb of Malabar in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Long Bay comprises six institutions, four maximum security and two minimum security.-History:...
after being convicted on multiple fraud charges.
After being released from Long Bay Jail in July 1987, Ferguson, then aged 40, and his 23-year-old male lover, Alexandria George Brookes, abducted three children, two boys and a girl, from Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Ferguson had previously got to know the children's father, who was a fellow inmate in Long Bay Jail, and Ferguson was told that the children had previously been sexually abused. Ferguson and Brookes flew the children to Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, and sexually assaulted them in a house in the Brisbane suburb of Kedron
Kedron, Queensland
Kedron is a northern suburb of Brisbane, Australia, centred on Gympie Road and Kedron Brook. It is close to Westfield Chermside shopping centre in the neighbouring suburb of Chermside...
. The following night, Ferguson and Brookes moved the three children to a motel in the suburb of Ascot
Ascot, Queensland
Ascot is a predominantly affluent residential suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, characterised by large Queenslander homes. Located from Brisbane, the suburb is well catered for in terms of public transport with many bus and train services departing from Ascot railway station...
, where they again abused the children. Police arrested Ferguson and Brookes at the motel, where they found Ferguson naked with the children. Ferguson told police, "I can help you. Pornography. Kiddy porn, I can get you kiddy porn." Ferguson claimed he was innocent, accusing one of the boys he molested of committing the crimes, but a jury found him guilty of all counts of abduction and assault of the three children. He was sentenced to 14 years' imprisonment, by a judge who noted there was no chance he would be rehabilitated.
While in jail he refused to take part in rehabilitation programs, and attempted to obtain police photographs of his victims under the Freedom of Information Act. An order was obtained requiring Ferguson to report his whereabouts to police after fellow inmates reported plans by him to molest the eight-year old daughter of the family with whom he would reside after being released.
In 2003, New South Wales Police surveillance located Ferguson in Parramatta Public School. Ferguson was forbidden from entering schools, and claimed he was distributing cleaning products for groups needing to raise funds. A court convicted him under the NSW Child Protection Offenders Registration Act, and he was sentenced to a further 15 months' prison in the John Morony Correctional Centre
John Morony Correctional Centre
John Morony Correctional Centre is an Australian male prison located in Berkshire Park, New South Wales, Australia.The John Morony Correctional Complex is located 5 km south of Windsor,...
. He was released in December 2004.
The following year, in November 2005, Ferguson was charged with sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl at her home in the Queensland town of Dalby
Dalby, Queensland
Dalby is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia, and is located approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane, at the junction of the Warrego, Moonie and Bunya Highways. Dalby is the administrative centre of the Western Downs Region and the centre of Australia's richest...
. In a rare legal move, the judge granted Ferguson a bench trial
Bench trial
A bench trial is a trial held before a judge sitting without a jury. The term is chiefly used in common law jurisdictions to describe exceptions from jury trial, as most other legal systems do not use juries to any great extent....
(without a jury), as he considered Ferguson would not receive a fair trial by jury, due to the enormous amount of media coverage. The judge found that while the girl had been molested while Ferguson and fellow convicted child sexual abuser Allan Guy had been at her house, it could not be proved beyond reasonable doubt that Ferguson had been responsible, rather than Guy, and that he should be released. The girl had clearly identified 'Dennis' as the perpetrator of her abuse.
Relocation
After being released from jail in 2004, Ferguson was forced to move from numerous locations in QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, due to public pressure and media attention. Angry residents forced him to flee the towns of Bundaberg
Bundaberg, Queensland
Bundaberg is a city in Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Local Government Area of the Bundaberg Region and is a major centre within Queensland's broader Wide Bay-Burnett geographical region...
, Toowoomba
Toowoomba, Queensland
Toowoomba is a city in Southern Queensland, Australia. It is located west of Queensland's capital city, Brisbane. With an estimated district population of 128,600, Toowoomba is Australia's second largest inland city and its largest non-capital inland city...
and Murgon
Murgon, Queensland
Murgon is a town in Queensland, Australia. It is situated on the Bunya Highway 270 kilometres north-west of the state capital, Brisbane.Murgon is in the region of Queensland known as the South Burnett, the southern part of the Burnett River catchment...
. In February 2005, he settled in Ipswich
City of Ipswich
The City of Ipswich is a Local Government Area in South East Queensland, covering an area of along the coast about southwest of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland. The City of Ipswich has a population of 162,380 .-History:...
with another pedophile, but was again found by neighbours and the media. There were reports of rocks being thrown at his house. A judge awarded Ferguson $2,250 in compensation from an invalid Ipswich pensioner who pled guilty to threatening him. Other protests have been more peaceable.
In July 2008, he moved to a rural property near Miles, Queensland
Miles, Queensland
Miles is a small town in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Miles had a population of 1,164.The town is situated on the Warrego Highway, 340 kilometres west of Brisbane, the state capital. Formerly known as Dogwood Crossing, the town is situated on Dogwood Creek, named by German explorer...
, but after word of his location spread, cars began to arrive at the property, and the police were called after 60 people began chanting anti-Ferguson slogans.
In 2009, he moved into a public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
apartment in the Sydney suburb of Ryde
Ryde, New South Wales
Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Ryde is located 13 km north-west of the Sydney central business district and 8 km east of Parramatta. Ryde is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Ryde and part of the Northern Suburbs area...
where he was given a five-year lease. Some residents of the area were outraged at Ferguson's presence, after news organisations revealed where he was living- near a primary school and playgrounds. Angry males shouted on the street, and police found a Molotov cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
near Ferguson's apartment building; Ferguson claims that one man broke into his house and assaulted him. By 2010, neighbours had forced him to leave Ryde.
New South Wales Police attempted to obtain a court order banning Ferguson from public pools and parks, after he began frequenting a pool during primary school children's swimming lessons. While the safety order was denied by a judge, they did succeed in obtaining an order requiring him to notify the child protection authority before engaging in charity activities that would put him in contact with childen - a precaution that was prompted after he was spotted selling children's toys for a charity for which he had registered using his middle name, Ray. Ferguson had been selling them without a legally mandated permit and police approval.
A program set up by the government agency Centrelink
Centrelink
Centrelink is the trading name of the Commonwealth Service Delivery Agency , a statutory authority responsible for delivering human services on behalf of agencies of the Commonwealth Government of Australia. The majority of Centrelink's services are the disbursement of social security payments...
to reunite missing persons was suspended indefinitely in September 2009, after it was discovered that Dennis Ferguson had accessed the service to reunite with his 1987 criminal accomplice, Alexandria George Brookes.
Legislative changes
In September 2009, in response to public anger at Ferguson living in the Ryde area, the Government of New South WalesGovernment of New South Wales
The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
under Premier Nathan Rees
Nathan Rees
Nathan Rees MP, , an Australian politician, was the 41st Premier of New South Wales and parliamentary leader of the New South Wales division of the Australian Labor Party from September 2008 to December 2009...
moved to introduce legislation to allow the government to evict child sex offenders from public housing
Public housing
Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. Social housing is an umbrella term referring to rental housing which may be owned and managed by the state, by non-profit organizations, or by a combination of the...
. Critics dubbed the legislation the Dennis Ferguson Act, and said it was created as a result of the state government caving in to vigilantism
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
.