A paedophile from Kangaroo Island who sexually assaulted five young boys over two decades has been jailed for at least 12 years.
John William Hardy, 71, appeared in the Adelaide District Court by video link from Mount Gambier prison this morning and remained motionless as his sentence was read out.
Detectives expressed elation as Hardy was sentenced to 15 years in prison with a non-parole period of 12 years for aggravated indecent assault and basic indecent assault charges.
Hardy's crimes on Kangaroo Island date back between 2002 and 2019 with his five victims aged between six and 14 years old at the time of the offending.
He has also served time in prison interstate for similar crimes committed against 15 young boys in the Northern Rivers District in NSW during the late 80s.
Hardy a 'serious repeat offender'
During Hardy's South Australian trial, a clinical psychological report revealed he had interfered with 25 boys in NSW, but a far lesser number was proved by prosecutors.
Judge Paul Cuthbertson said Hardy was a "serious repeat offender" who had stolen the childhoods of his victims.
"[The] world that they live in has been blighted in its own individual way by what the defendant has done," he said.
The court heard how the Kangaroo Island community took in Hardy after he moved there, initially with no friends or family.
"They provided him with employment, they provided him in a number of cases with housing," Judge Cuthbertson said.
'Reprehensible' and 'horrific offending'
Judge Cuthbertson said Hardy spent an inordinate amount of time and effort in gaining the trust of the victims' families before he created opportunities to sexually interfere with the boys.
"That is the reprehensible thing about his offending."
The court heard many of the victims blamed themselves for the offending or for not speaking up at the relevant time.
"Another victim speaks about how he has changed, how he worried about other victims, how his schoolwork suffered … how he wanted to die, and that the defendant has stolen his childhood and his innocence," Judge Cuthbertson said.
The court heard that Hardy had on some occasions used play dates the victims had with his children to molest them.
On one occasion he waited for his children to pick up take away at a fish and chip shop to abuse a victim that remained with him in the car.
Hardy will be in his eighties by the time he is eligible for parole.
