THE sexual abuse of 20 primary school children by a teacher is “unforgivable”, Judge Gordon Risius says, and he is a dangerous risk to the public.

The damage to the children is likely to have been “serious ... or even permanent”, he added, as this teacher – originally jailed in 2010 – admitted 31 new counts.

So, you’d imagine this man who betrayed the trust of these children, their parents and an entire community to get his own twisted pleasures would be facing many years behind bars.

No. Through sentencing guidelines and the will of parliament, this devious man who hid his perversions so expertly for more than a decade will be eligible for parole in about two years. It’s a disgrace.

Judge Risius says he was forced to take the man’s previous sentence into account when he passed his fresh four-year term yesterday. We, and every parent in this county, will question why.

Back in 2010 this man was convicted of abusing some children. He had the opportunity then to come clean about these other offences where he molested other children.

It was only more investigations that uncovered other abuses. So it flies in the face of any natural justice that almost three years later he derives any sort of benefit.

The maximum sentence for sexual assault is 10 years. He is entitled to a discount for guilty pleas but how can anyone argue that this man’s molestation and manipulation of young children equates to 24 months in a prison cell?

His meagre sentence just proves parents could not rely on this teacher to protect their children, and neither could they rely on the law.