Name Brian Jones | ||
 | ||
Other names Brendan John Megson, Mr Baldy Criminal penalty 12 years (1993–2005)(2006–present) Conviction(s) Similar People Jack van Tongeren, Neddy Smith, Tan Duc Thanh Nguyen, Sef Gonzales, Keith Faure | ||
Brian Keith Jones (born 1947), formerly known as Brendan John Megson and Whispen, is an Australian child molestor and burglar who was convicted of the abduction and sexual assault of six male children between 1979 and 1980. Jones was given the nickname Mr Baldy for shaving his victims' hair and dressing them in female clothing during the attacks.
Criminal background
He pleaded guilty to 17 charges, including six of indecent assault on a male under 16, six of abduction, two of burglary and two of theft. He was sentenced to 14 years jail with a non-parole period of 12 years. After remissions of one-third, he was paroled in 1989 and he raped a nine-year-old-boy and sexually abused the victim's six-year-old brother within weeks.
He was convicted of aggravated rape, sexual penetration of a child under 10 and three counts of indecent assault, and was sentenced in 1993 to 12 years and 4 months imprisonment with a non parole period of 11 years to be served cumulatively with the balance of parole that he breached.
Under the terms of the sentence, Jones was eligible for parole in August 2003, and was eventually released from HM Prison Ararat in July 2005 with the strictest parole conditions ever given to a Victorian prisoner: living in a cottage within the perimeter of HM Prison Ararat on an extended supervision order which allowed for restrictions on his movements and contact with other people.
On August 7, 2005, talk radio show host Derryn Hinch revealed Jones' living arrangements on air; Hinch's comments caused controversy in the Melbourne suburb of Frankston, where residents attacked the house named on air and abused its occupants, and a local supermarket began a petition to remove Jones from the area. Hinch later revealed his comments were mistaken and Jones was not living at the Frankston address.
On August 8, 2005 the Victorian government represented by Peter Faris, QC, applied to the County Court of Victoria for a 15-year supervision order under the Serious Sex Offenders Monitoring Act, enabling Jones to be supervised once his parole term expired. Jones appeared in court via video-link and did not contest the application.
Jones was later settled in a residential area in Ascot Vale, Victoria, causing public outcry over his placement near to schools and playgrounds. After a vigil by protesters outside the house, Jones was moved from this address to Glen Iris, Victoria.
In August 2006, Jones was imprisoned indefinitely for multiple breaches of his parole conditions; he will not be eligible for parole again until 2020.