Paedophile charged for breaching conditions

A convicted paedophile is facing a charge of breaching his probation conditions by moving to the small West Coast settlement of Blackball where his presence has angered locals, says Greymouth Mayor Tony Kokshoorn.

He said the man had told police he was leaving the district for good today and selling up.

Mr Kokshoorn said the paedophile moved to Blackball from Christchurch about a month ago, apparently without approval from the Probation Service, which was monitoring him after his release from jail.

The department yesterday confirmed a breach-of-conditions charge had been laid against the man.

Mr Kokshoorn said the man - labelled a high-risk offender by the department - should not have been allowed into a community with a primary school nearby.

A meeting organised to discuss the issue this afternoon would now focus on how the man had managed to move into the Blackball house.

The Corrections Department yesterday did not explain how the man had been able to leave Canterbury while under supervision and said no comment would be made on the matter because it was before the court.

"The question has to be asked, why did they [the Corrections Department] let him go?" Mr Kokshoorn said.

He said there was no sympathy for the man within the community.

"How can you feel sorry for someone who has molested children in the past? Some things you get second chances for, but you can't afford to give second chances for that."

Jane Wells from the Formerly Blackball Hilton hotel said locals were relieved, but some would still hold a vigil outside the man's house until they were sure he had left.

She had heard a furniture truck was due to remove the house's contents in the next few days, and the man's wife - rumoured to have the house in her name - was concerned locals might harm the place in the meantime.

"I said 'I'm sure they won't'," Ms Wells said.

- NZPA