STEVEN RAUN'S REIGN OF SILENCE IN NEWCASTLE: SEX OFFENDER FAILS TO REPORT MOVE
In April 2021, Steven Raun, a registered sex offender from Newcastle, found himself once again in legal trouble after neglecting to inform authorities of a significant change in his living arrangements.Raun, who was placed on the Sex Offenders' Register for a decade in 2012 following convictions related to offenses involving individuals under the age of 16, was legally required to notify police of any change of address within seven days of moving.
Despite these obligations, Raun, now 31 years old, was found to have failed in this duty.
At the time, he was residing with his mother in the Blakelaw area of Newcastle.
However, in December 2019, he moved in with his girlfriend, a change that he did not report to the authorities.
This oversight went unnoticed for approximately eight months, until August 2020, when Raun’s mother inadvertently disclosed his new address, leading to the discovery of his failure to comply with the notification requirements.
Raun was subsequently brought before Newcastle Magistrates' Court, where he admitted to the offence of failing to notify the police of his change of residence.
During the court proceedings, he was present at the court to plead guilty to one count of non-compliance with the sex offender notification obligations.
Prosecutor Lesley Burgess outlined the case, emphasizing that Raun had been subject to strict notification requirements following his 2012 conviction for sex offences involving minors.
These requirements mandated that he keep police informed of any address changes for a period of ten years.
Burgess explained that the evidence presented in court included statements from Raun’s mother and his partner.
She noted that Raun had maintained contact with his offender manager and had consistently provided his mother’s address as his residence, although she clarified that he only stayed there occasionally and was not residing there permanently.
Furthermore, the prosecutor highlighted that Raun’s mother confirmed he was not living at her house regularly, and his partner stated that they had been living together as a family at her address.
The court also acknowledged that Raun had a prior breach of his notification order in 2015, although he had not encountered any trouble since then.
Following the guilty plea, the magistrates decided to adjourn the case to allow for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
The next hearing was scheduled for May 10 at the same court, where further sentencing considerations would be addressed.
