Butlin’s has sacked a pedophile lifeguard who worked at its Minehead resort after discovering he had been convicted of grooming a 13-year-old boy for sex in Australia.
Dean Carelse, 43, an ex-water polo and rugby coach, was jailed in Queensland in 2022 after pleading guilty to almost 20 charges. This included grooming the teenage boy and possessing child exploitation images.
The pedophile had been a member of staff at the Somerset resort for almost a year.
The offenses occurred when Carelse was a teacher at a private school on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in late 2010, according to The times.
However, the offenses were not picked up by the British background check at Butlin’s request.
After his sentence, Carelse was deported back to his native South Africa, with no restrictions placed on where he could move.
Butlin’s has sacked a pedophile lifeguard who worked at Minehead resort (pictured)
An Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) investigation managed to track down the pedophile at the Minehead resort.
Butlin’s said it had launched an investigation and confirmed that Carelse is no longer working with them ‘with immediate effect’.
A spokesperson for Butlin said: ‘When we were notified we immediately launched an investigation.
‘As part of our recruitment process and in line with government guidance, we carried out an enhanced DBS check and right to work status, which emerged clearly.
“The team member falsified the information on their job application and we can confirm they no longer work for us. Moreover, no complaints or issues have been filed against them.”
They added: ‘Due to the severity of this, we have reviewed our policy and can confirm that additional checks will be carried out for existing international teams and future international candidates.’
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.