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CHILDREN associated with the Order of St Charbel religious cult near Nowra will be at risk with the imminent release on parole of William Kamm, known as The Little Pebble, according to Berry-based author Graeme Webber.
Mr Webber’s book, A Wolf Among The Sheep, published in 2008, chronicled the growth of the Tapitallee-based cult run by Kamm.
The State Parole Authority announced on Tuesday that Kamm, 64, would be released on parole no later than November 18 but under strict conditions.
Mr Webber said the decision to parole the cult leader, who was jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of a strong of child sex offences, came as a surprise.
“He was refused parole in April 2013 because he wouldn’t undertake psychological treatment to address his offending behaviour.
“He is a danger. One of the sentencing judges said he would be a risk to children, not generally but within that community the risk of recidivism would have to be very serious,” Mr Webber said.
“One would think that to be rehabilitated one would have to admit guilt to the offences.”
Kamm will be banned from the Shoalhaven for the period of his parole, which ends in October 2015. He will be electronically monitored, cannot contact his victims and is prohibited from being in the company of any person under 16 unless accompanied by a responsible adult. He is not allowed to communicate with any person under 16 without the approval of a Corrective Services officer.
Kamm will also be required to undergo psychological assessment and counselling.
According to Mr Webber, who wrote a 19-page submission to the 2010 Senate inquiry into Public Benefit Test for charitable and religious groups, Kamm still has questions to answer over the financial management of the Order of Saint Charbel.
In his submission, Mr Webber said donations and tithes to the order between 1987 and 2005 totalled $4.8 million and that a further $490,543 was donated after Kamm’s jailing. He called for an enquiry into the way regulatory authorities allowed the cult to continue.
