Inside the shocking double life of a Scots College worker who molested children while carrying a ‘toolbox of sex toys’
Ewen James Addison, a former Scots College student and staff member, has had his prison sentence nearly doubled after Victoria's Court of Appeal ruled his original punishment for abusing five children was "manifestly inadequate." Addison, who had previously been jailed and deported from Canada for molesting young children at the Whistler ski resort, went on to sexually abuse boys and girls in Australia during family holidays and ski trips, exploiting the trust of families who welcomed him into their homes. The case highlights how he was able to continue offending across two countries despite prior red flags, including being sacked from his old school and subject to legal orders in Australia.
Addison was convicted of 11 offences committed against five children between 2008 and 2011, including indecent acts and indecent assault, carried out using pornography and sex toys he kept in a red toolbox. He was originally sentenced to a maximum of four years with a two-year non-parole period, but the Court of Appeal increased this to a maximum of six years with a minimum of three years and nine months, alongside a lifetime sex offender registration. The 51-year-old, previously employed as an IT adviser and boarding house master at Scots College before complaints led to his dismissal and Apprehended Violence Orders, had earlier been convicted in Canada in 2003 for abusing children aged four to eleven at Whistler Blackcomb resort.
- Ex-Scots College worker's sentence nearly doubled for child sex offences
- Abused five children in Australia after Canada conviction and deportation
- New sentence: up to six years, lifetime sex offender registration imposed
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Ewen James Addison, a former student and later staff member at Sydney's Scots College, has just had his prison sentence for child sex offences nearly doubled on appeal. He was convicted of abusing five children in Australia between 2008 and 2011, offences committed while he held positions of trust, including as a boarding house master, and while socialising with families during holidays and ski trips.
Before the Australian offending came to light, Addison had already been convicted in Canada in 2003 for molesting young children at the Whistler ski resort, for which he was jailed and deported. He was later sacked from Scots College following complaints and made subject to legal protection orders in Australia, though he continued to have contact with children afterwards.
Victoria's Court of Appeal has now ruled that Addison's original sentence, a maximum of four years, was too lenient given the seriousness of his offending, and increased it to a maximum of six years with a longer minimum term, along with lifetime registration as a sex offender. The case has drawn attention to how a convicted offender was able to move between countries and continue to gain access to children despite earlier warning signs.