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Breach of sex offender housing precinct sparks review

Housing security for Queensland sex offenders will be reviewed after a recent overhaul failed to prevent a woman from visiting a restricted precinct.

Feb 08, 2023, updated Feb 08, 2023

Two sex offenders have been sent back to jail after facilitating the woman’s entry to the secure housing precinct at Wacol this year, Queensland Corrective Services confirmed in a statement.

Security at the facility was reviewed in December after a teenage girl was allegedly assaulted at the precinct in an unrelated incident.

One of the offenders in the latest breach has been named in media reports as notorious pedophile Douglas Jackway.

Jackway, now aged 46, has a lengthy criminal history that includes sexual offending against a girl and a boy in the 1990s and has spent most of his adult life behind bars.

The convicted pedophile was rated a “below moderate” risk of reoffending when the courts granted supervised release to live within the Wacol precinct in 2020.

“Members of the public are not permitted on the contingency housing precinct at any time, and a range of work is under way to strengthen security, including increased CCTV, a replacement security fence and increased patrols and random checks,” corrective services said in a statement.

The breach has raised further concern after the December security overhaul, with Corrective Services Minister Mark Ryan insisting every effort was being made to protect the community.

“There’ll be a full investigation … ultimately, we are enhancing security at that precinct – initial and immediate action has already been taken to enhance security, additional patrols, additional surveillance, additional CCTV, additional lighting, perimeter security, all of those things have already been enhanced,” the minister said on Wednesday.

“There are significant works which are in the final stages of being procured, including a significant upgrade to perimeter security.”

Ryan said corrective services officers identified the breach, and the two men had been taken into custody.

“Queensland Corrective Services acted swiftly, ensuring those offenders are now behind bars in the interest of community safety,” he said.

-AAP

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