Eye on paedophile for 10 more years

A convicted paedophile who has refused treatment and continues to profess his innocence despite three sets of child-sex convictions will remain under the long arm of the law for 10 more years despite his release from prison.

William Walter Peter Vernon Tyler-Galerne, 54, of the Wellington suburb of Strathmore, was in the High Court at Wellington yesterday as the Department of Corrections sought and was granted the maximum 10 years extended supervision order.

Mr Tyler-Galerne had to be released from jail this year after serving his full 7-year sentence for sexually violating a 10-year-old girl.

He also has previous sexual convictions for offences against a 7- or 8-year-old girl and a boy aged under 16.

While in prison Mr Tyler-Galerne refused to participate in programmes for sexual offenders and continued to deny any wrongdoing.

He met with a psychologist several times but the sessions ended because he refused to admit his guilt.

The psychologist rated him as a high chance of reoffending.

Justice Forrest Miller yesterday agreed with that assessment and made an order for the maximum 10 years of extended supervision.

He said there was a "real and ongoing risk" to the community from having Mr Tyler-Galerne unsupervised.

"Your denial of any wrongdoing makes it unlikely that you will receive any treatment," he said.

"I conclude that you are likely to commit an offence."

Although the level of harm likely was "not especially high" from Mr Tyler-Galerne, "these risks are enduring, reflecting a sexual orientation to children that is unlikely to change".

Mr Tyler-Galerne's lawyer, Michael Bott, said he had willingly submitted to a supervision order and saw it as a chance to prove he was not a risk to children.

Mr Bott said the fact his client had not professed his guilt meant he could not get into treatment programmes, which he was prepared to attend.

"[But] it won't be at the price of accepting his guilt."

Crown lawyer Kate Feltham agreed there was a problem that Mr Tyler-Galerne could not get treatment unless he agreed he was guilty. "We're really in a catch-22 situation."

Ms Feltham said although he had consented to a supervision order, it was only with a view to persuading people he was safe.

Mr Tyler-Galerne, wearing a grey suit and sporting a long white-blond ponytail and slightly tinted spectacles, declined comment after the hearing.

Under his prison release conditions, he was banned from having unsupervised contact with children or from going within 100m of schools, kindergartens, parks or recreational areas.

Those conditions have now been superseded by the extended supervision order.

His Strathmore neighbours were told he was living there.

- NZPA