A convicted pedophile who was again jailed after allegedly concealing his written fantasies about children cannot be trusted within the community, a Sydney court has been told.
Michael David Jones was placed on a one-year continuing detention order in 2020 after graphic notes believed to have been written while he was in prison were found following his release.
At the time the former Royal Australian Air Force member was serving a two-year sentence for creating a diary that included references to his past sexual offending.
Prosecutor Danielle New on Tuesday in the NSW Supreme Court argued Jones be placed on a continuing detention order, saying his historical behaviour showed a lack of insight and willingness to hide offending material.
After Jones was sentenced in 2020, following the seizure of child abuse material, he penned more offensive notes in his cell and then hid them from his treating psychologist, Ms New said.
The 56-year-old currently faces two charges in Newcastle's Local Court for possessing and producing child abuse material.
Ms New pointed to other incidents where he breached court orders including in 2017 while on parole.
"Within days of parole he was told to delete the Facebook application, he said he did, the DSO (Department Supervising Officer) watched as he deleted it, then he re-installed the application and continued his communications (with children)."
"You still have a defendant that is concealing his sexual arousal through fantasising from his own treating therapists, that is a concern relating to whether his risk can be managed."
But Jones' defence argued his rehabilitation had essentially stalled in custody, and that keeping him locked up was a short-term solution with potentially disastrous long-term consequences.
"Containment can't be relied on as a long-term risk management and risk-avoidance tool," Anton Hughes said.
"At some point in the future his right to liberty will demand his right for release, if his rehabilitation is not advanced then that will be worse for the community."
Mr Hughes argued that Jones' work with professionals could be better served outside a custodial setting, under supervision.
The pedophile has not committed a contact sexual offence for more than 20 years, with his most serious conduct involving an extended amount of grooming.
A strict supervision order comes with conditions that would guard against this risk, the court was told.
In the late 1980s he was convicted of sexually abusing five teenage boys while a local Scout leader.
Justice Clifton Hoeben is due to hand down his judgment on the matter on Friday.
Australian Associated Press
