An Australian actor who was convicted of serious sex offences committed during the height of his fame is to be deported to Britain, where he will be monitored under the Sexual Offences Act.
Robert Hughes, 73, starred in “Hey Dad!,” one of Australia’s most successful sitcoms, between 1987 and 1994.
In 2014 he was jailed after being convicted of 10 sexual assault and indecent assault offences committed between 1984 and 1990.
The victims included actress Sarah Monahan, who played his daughter on “Hey Dad!” and was just 7 years old at the time.
She came forward in 2010, waived her right to anonymity, and spoke out about Hughes, who pleaded not guilty and maintains to this day that he is innocent.
The trial heard he exposed himself to young girls and on set, and after making one victim perform a sex act he rewarded her with a teddy bear.
Sentencing him to 10 years in prison, Judge Peter Zahra said he was a “sexual predator” who exploited young girls and relied on his fame and seniority to ensure the silence of his victims, who were aged between 7 and 15.
The New South Wales state parole authority granted Hughes parole on June 2 and he has now left prison and is expected to board a flight to London.
Hughes had dual British and Australian nationality until 2020 when he renounced his Australian citizenship and said he planned to start a new life in Britain with his wife, Robyn Gardiner.
Gardiner, a talent agent who once represented Cate Blanchett, told the parole authorities she stood by her husband and wanted him to live in Britain “surrounded by family and support.”
The New South Wales Parole Authority said: “Hughes and wife had given undertakings that once back in the community Hughes would seek treatment with a clinical psychologist specialising in convicted sex offenders who deny their crimes, to assist with his reintegration and reduce his risk of reoffending.”
The chair of the parole authority, David Frearson, said Hughes’s crimes had “profound and deleterious effects on the victims … continue to this day and will probably be lifelong consequences.”
Frearson said, “It must be particularly galling for the victims to observe the offender’s continued and obstinate denials in the face of compelling and overwhelming evidence from multiple witnesses.”
The parole authorities in Australia have accepted Hughes was at “below average risk of sexually reoffending,” but when in Britain he will be added to Sex Offenders’ Register and monitored.
