Bay of Plenty schools alarmed after man preys on children

Matua School is one of four warning parents after a man allegedly approached young children. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

A man is accused of trying to lure a young girl into his home - prompting four schools to warn their communities about him and sparking outrage among some fearful parents.

Otumoetai Intermediate School, Otumoetai Primary School, Matua School and Bellevue School in Tauranga have sent warning notices home to parents after the man reportedly approached four young school children and tried to persuade one young girl to leave with him.

Bellevue School told parents the man was aged in his mid to late 30s and the four children were taken away to safety after one of the group alerted a parent.

Otumoetai Primary warned the man was "particularly adept" at making children feel at ease and at befriending them.

Otumoetai Primary School principal Geoff Opie said police had served a trespass order preventing the man from entering the school grounds, while a photograph of him has been circulated among school staff.

Yesterday, parents voiced their fears and one mother of an Otumoetai Primary School pupil called for the man's name and face to be displayed at the school gate.

"It made me feel sick to my stomach and you sort of think, 'oh God, who's next?' I've got an 8-year-old daughter and she'd be just the kind of girl he's after. There's no such thing as feeling safe in your neighbourhood anymore."

The Bay of Plenty Times has learned the man has appeared in Tauranga District Court over a similar incident and the Department of Corrections yesterday revealed there were concerns about the man's "current behaviour".

Community Probation Services area manager Pauline Moran confirmed the offender had completed a sentence of home detention and was subject to post detention conditions until May this year.

"The offender has not previously received any prison sentence. There are some concerns about his current behaviour and we are working closely with police to ensure that he is being closely managed and that all steps are being taken to minimise any risk to the community."

A police spokeswoman said she was unable to discuss the specifics of the case without breaching privacy laws.

Although the schools were legally not allowed to reveal the man's identity, some parents contacted by the newspaper said they knew who he was.

When contacted yesterday, the man in question said he had no knowledge of the reported incident and was also unaware of any trespass orders.

Bellevue School principal David Bell said his school had put "extra procedures" in place and served as a reminder for parents and staff to be vigilant.

Mr Bell has also made Pillans Point School and Brookfield School aware of the danger.

Matua School principal Tracy Lloyd said the school had spoken to children at assembly and in class about how to keep themselves safe.

Another mother was "disgusted and shocked" when she learned of the incident late last week.

"Now I'm angry that we don't know who he is. His identity should not be protected but rather our children should be protected by way of his photo being posted outside the school so everyone's aware of what he looks like. That would make him go away, surely.

"We can't believe he's unable to live in an area with so many schools and his identity is protected."

But one mother whose 5-year-old daughter is soon to start at Otumoetai Primary School praised the school for being proactive.

"It gives me peace of mind that the school is doing something about it - and there's probably not a lot more they can do than that. It's frightening to think that someone might be standing around outside the school and watching children with that background. It's every parent's worst nightmare."

Former Act MP Deborah Coddington said that fear was the reason she published a book listing convicted paedophiles and sex offenders since 1996. "This is why I tried to get the sex offender register up and running, so police and schools could work with communities. I think people would be generally wise with the information and would only use it to keep their children safe."

But Ms Coddington said she could understand the schools had their hands tied when it came to identifying the man.

Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesman Garth McVicar believed the issue "shows the idiocy of laws that need to change".

"In our perspective, the safety of the children have got to come first. I've got a huge problem with the privacy rights of the individual and the way the law works, we have to wait for the next victim."

Mr McVicar offered to help parents form a group to give their community "safety in numbers".

Corrections Department figures released last year showed there were 27 sex offenders living under supervision in the Western Bay of Plenty as at September 30.

Stranger danger

March 22, 2011: A man asked an 11-year-old papergirl to get in his car during her delivery run in Te Puke. She fled to a friend's house nearby and waited until the man had left.

July 26, 2010: Two 10-year-old girls were walking in Opal Dr, Papamoa, when two men in a van asked them to get in. They screamed, jumped a fence into a reserve and ran to a school.

May 11, 2010: A 12-year-old Tauranga Intermediate School pupil was abducted by a couple while walking to school along Baycroft Ave, Merivale. The girl escaped unharmed when they stopped at a supermarket.

March 4, 2010: A 7-year-old girl was walking home from Greenpark School when a man tried to persuade her to get into his vehicle. She refused to get into the man's car and ran away.

Februrary 25, 2010: A man tried to lure a 9-year-old boy into his car after he stepped off his school bus in Belk Rd, Tauriko. The boy fled and hid in a shelter belt until his would-be abductor gave up