Judge Lisa Hannan HANDS OVER YOUR CHILDREN TO A CHILD PREDATOR

A COURT has ruled the identity of a serial sex monster, who will walk from jail within weeks and who experts predict will reoffend, be hidden from the public.

The serial-offender pedophile and rapist staged a decades-long reign of terror, abuse and rape against Melbourne women and girls.

Senior police believe the man is behind up to 200 unsolved sex attacks and "makes Mr Baldy look like a girl scout".

The protected man has committed multiple offences on each prior release from prison.

But authorities decided the rapist would have a court-ordered cloak of anonymity while the public is kept in the dark about who and where he is.

The County Court gag order prevents the Sunday Herald Sun naming the man or publishing his picture.

Assessment reports likely to shed light on his mental status and likelihood to reoffend have also been rendered secret by Judge Lisa Hannan's gag.

But at a previous sentencing of the prisoner, a judge stated he was resistant to reform.

A psychiatrist then warned if released, the man would simply add to his list of victims.

Police, child advocates and school representatives have described the gag on identifying the man as dangerous.

And the Opposition said it was uncomfortable with the hidden justice aspect of the order.

One spate of offences by the man involved trespassing on the grounds of private girls' schools.

Victorian Principals Association president Fred Ackerman said the interests of children, students and the community had to be given preference over an individual's.

"Even if there's a likelihood of them offending or behaving inappropriately or having an attraction to students, and therefore school premises, the constraints that are needed take on a more urgent focus," Mr Ackerman said.

"It is our responsibility . . . to ensure at all times the absolute wellbeing of young people -- and there is no margin for error."

The founder of anti-child sex abuse group Child Wise, Bernadette McMenamin, said people should be worried by the man's release and the surrounding secrecy.

"It's a real concern that he is protected to this extent. Certainly the community is not convinced this guy is safe," Ms McMenamin said.

"Why is he getting out? I just don't think communities are safe when individuals like this are released."

And police members are staggered they will once more have to try to protect the public from the serial menace.

A senior Victorian police officer, who would not be named, told the Sunday Herald Sun that police believed the man was responsible for as many as 200 sex assaults.

Another, Det-Sgt Paul Tierney, who investigated the rapist over 21 years, confirmed other alleged victims had come forward but were unwilling to go to trial.

"There are other matters that we believe (he) is responsible for," he said, but would not reveal how many cases.

"He's a recidivist serial sex offender. He's one of the higher percentage of offenders given his recidivism.

"You would see if you looked at his early history quite a bit of violence," he said.

The gag orders could be lifted once the prisoner has been released or could remain in force.

"We are uncomfortable with the gag order given the fact we're supposed to live in an open society where justice is not only done, but seen to be done," said Opposition justice spokesman Andrew McIntosh.

A Government spokeswoman refused to comment yesterday.