The Berry-based journalist and author of the book A Wolf Among The Sheep, a searing expose of the life and crimes of local cult leader William Kamm – known to followers as The Little Pebble – was surprised by his release on parole.

While he said he held concerns for children who might fall under Kamm’s influence once his parole ends in October 2015, Mr Webber is also furious at the lack of action by federal and state regulatory authorities over the self-professed prophet’s financial dealings.

He is angry that his 19-page submission to a 2010 Senate inquiry into the public benefit test for charities and religious groups appears to have fallen on deaf ears.

He wants to know how it came to pass that the land at Tapitallee, where the so-called Order of Saint Charbel is based, was signed over to Kamm when it was purchased with the aid of a sizeable charitable donation to the Marian Work of Atonement Society in the 1980s. Checks by Mr Webber revealed that Kamm became the sole shareholder and director of the charity’s assets for a measly $100. This, he says, effectively privatised a federal government recognised charity, with all its incumbent tax breaks.

Incredibly, previous federal governments also gave grants to a school, since closed down by the Board of Studies, that operated within the compound.

Kamm’s crimes against his human victims are dreadful enough. Court records show how manipulative he was convincing followers to overlook his outrages against their children.

That power to suspend logic seems to have duped governments as well, which should take action to recover taxpayers’ money and put in place the means to prevent similar episodes occurring in the future.