Keith Albert Beattie - Repeat Sex Offender Indefinite detention

A LONG-term predator of young boys created a legal nightmare when he appeared for the ninth time on child sex charges in a Brisbane court today.

Keith Albert Beattie, 66, was the first offender being detained on a Dangerous Prisoners (Sexual Offenders Act) 2003 indefinite detention order to appear on historical charges.

He was sentenced in November 1997 to nine years' jail after pleading guilty to maintaining an unlawful relationship of a sexual nature with a child under 16 years.

Beattie was ordered into indefinite detention in October 2006 after completing all of the nine years.

However, he pleaded guilty today to sodomy and indecent treatment of a child under 16 charges, relating to a period from November 1995 to February 1996.

The sentence created a headache for Judge Michael Shanahan because he had to take into account principles of totality and delay, the fact Beattie was already being held indefinitely, that Beattie would get no parole on any sentence he imposed and Beattie had to get a benefit from an early plea.

Barrister Jeff Hunter, for Beattie, said the charges had not come to light until much later when the boy, now 27, saw Beattie in jail when they were both at the same centre.

Mr Hunter said the sentence was very difficult because Beattie was still under the indefinite sentence regime which was yet to have its 12 months review.

"And to really confuse things there is a warrant for him in NSW where he owes 18 months on other charges," he said.

Judge Shanahan said had the judge known of today's charges back in 1997 he would have imposed an extra two years at 11 years.

However he said there was no chance Beattie would get parole, and had served six months on remand for today's offences which could not be counted as already spent on remand.

Judge Shanahan said he would therefore impose a 12-month sentence.

"25% of all sex offenders re-offend within 15 years"

.........Sarah Tofte