After years of trial, Paul Henry Dean, an Australian, who had committed sexual offences against orphans both in Visakhapatnam district and several places in neighbouring Odisha, was finally convicted recently.
The Railway Court, Visakhapatnam, sentenced the 75-year-old Dean to three years simple imprisonment under Sections 377, 292 (2) (A) of IPC and Section 12 of the Passport Act 1967 and Section 14 of the Foreigners Act and slapped a fine of ₹32,000. He was convicted based on the statement of David, a visually impaired victim.
Paul Dean posed as a priest in a missionary and at times as Dr. Allan Rose alias Parviraj and victimised many orphans who addressed him as ‘Tatagaru’ (grandfather). Dean was arrested in 2001 by the Visakhapatnam police for committing sexual offences against children in his flat. After release from the prison on bail, he moved to Odisha where he committed similar offences in Muniguda village.
The police officials including DSP of Kakinada PVRSSSM Ravi Varma, who investigated the case, and constable of Three-Town Police Station in Visakhapatam D Ramanujayya, said he roamed in India for the last four decades without passport and visa.
The accused pleaded mercy and sought minimum punishment. Though the punishment under Section 377 is 10 years, the court has got power to impose imprisonment of only three years.
The court slapped Dean with 3-year sentences on charges of the unnatural act (under Section 377) and fine of ₹10,000. He was sentenced to undergo one-year imprisonment under Section 292 (2) of IPC (exposing obscenity) and to pay ₹2,000 as fine. The Australian was also slapped with two-year sentence under Section 12 (1A) (b) of Passport Act 1967 and two-year sentence under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act.
All the sentences will run concurrently. It is learnt that Dean obtained bail from the AP High Court.
