By Peter Douglas
REPORTS have emerged the paedophile Robert Whitehead has died in prison.
The former Puffing Billy volunteer was sentenced earlier this year to more than eight years in prison over 24 charges of sexual abuse against six boys in the 1970s and 1980s.
The charges included repeated sexual abuse of a then 13-year-old Puffing Billy volunteer.
The Victorian Justice department told the ‘Mail’ they could not confirm if Mr Whitehead had died.
But if the reports are accurate, his death comes after just last week being charged with two more indecent assault charges.
It is alleged this victim was abused in 1982, after meeting the boy while volunteering on the Puffing Billy service.
In sentencing Mr Whitehead in July this year, Judge Michael Tinney told the then 84-year-old Mr Whitehead, “You may very well die in prison”.
“Age does not mitigate a prison term even when there is little possibility of life afterwards,” Judge Tinney said.
“But for your guilty plea, I would give a much more significant prison term.”
Chief Executive Officer of Puffing Billy Railway, John Robinson, has previously told the ‘Mail’ there were no records of anyone making allegations about the volunteers at the time.
Mr Robinson said volunteers had been subject to police checks since 2005, and working with children checks since 2007, but there were not checks in place when Mr Whitehead first started volunteering with Puffing Billy.
