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Buskers Facing Police Checks As Pedophile Banned A CONVICTED child-sex offender who has been busking in Rundle Mall has been stopped from performing there. David Rupert Mills, who indecently assaulted a nine-year-old girl, was yesterday stripped of his Adelaide City Council busking permit until further notice after The Advertiser revealed he had been busking among children in the mall. Mills, who was jailed after failing to undergo treatment ordered when a jail sentence for his offence was suspended, was busking near the Gawler Place canopy on Sunday and Monday. He was back in the mall yesterday before police moved him on. It is understood a council inspector also patrolled the mall to ensure he did not return. Mills has also been seen busking on the corner of Victoria Square and Franklin St. The council yesterday suspended his licence pending "a review of his criminal history". It is understood the Parole Board will investigate Mills' circumstances this week. Adelaide City Council said it would review its busking policies and investigate introducing mandatory police checks of performers. Lord Mayor Michael Harbison said he was concerned Mills was busking so close to children in the mall. "We need to review the situation, because the public need to be confident that people (busking) are of good character," he said. "As a parent, it concerns me, but I expect the vast majority of buskers would be of good character." Mr Harbison, who expected an interim report to be presented to council this week, said people with certain criminal convictions should not be allowed to busk. In 2001, Mills received a 10-month suspended sentence for indecently assaulting a nine-year-old girl at Elizabeth East. He failed to undergo a court-ordered sex-treatment program and moved to Darwin, where he also busked. He was extradited to Adelaide in January, and jailed for 16 months, with a non-parole period of four months. AAP (7-9-2005) |
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Council Powerless To Stop Pedophile Busker A CONVICTED child-sex offender who was jailed for failing to undergo treatment is busking in Rundle Mall, The Advertiser has learned. David Rupert Mills - who indecently assaulted a nine-year-old girl - spent an hour busking near the Gawler Place canopy on both Sunday and yesterday. While he performed, several young children left their parents to place coins in his tin. Shocked parents have called on Adelaide City Council to check the criminal history of buskers before allowing them to perform. "Volunteers at schools, at calisthenics, even at canteens, must have a police check," one mother said. "Why don't you need one to get a busking licence? "Anyone who has anything to do with children should have one." A council spokesman said by-laws did not require buskers to have police checks. Mills, 43, of Northfield, plays electric guitar and sings songs by Elton John and John Denver. He is known to blow soap bubbles for children. Mills is not the subject of a pedophile restraining order, which would prevent him being near children. Yesterday, he would not say whether he thought performing in the mall was appropriate. "I don't know," he said. "People can make their own decisions." But parents were unanimous in their concern. "I'm disgusted that he's allowed to be somewhere like this," one mother said while another, shopping with her three children, said it was "frightening" to learn a convicted sex offender was busking in a public place. In 2001, Mills received a 10-month suspended sentence for indecently assaulting a nine-year-old girl at Elizabeth East. He failed to undergo a court-ordered sex-treatment program and moved to Darwin where he busked. He was extradited to Adelaide in January, and jailed for 16 months with a four-month non-parole period. Attorney-General Michael Atkinson said that if Mills were to breach his parole conditions, police "would report him for doing so". He said the Government was providing $500,000 toward a national register of sex offenders. A police spokeswoman said officers "were aware of this person and the terms and conditions of his release on parole". AAP (6-9-2005) Sean Fewster |
MAKO/ File- David Mills
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