Paul Cook (pictured) was granted bail on Friday with strict conditions imposed
One of the seven people from a Blue Mountains circus school accused of depraved acts on children as young as three has been granted bail.
Former police officer Paul Cook, 52, was granted bail in court on Friday by Magistrate Roger Clisdell on the conditions that he not be alone with any child under 16 years of age, he report to police daily and he surrenders his passport.
Mr Cook, his sister Therese Ann Cook, 58, and her daughters Yyani Cook-Williams, 29, and Clarissa Meredith, 23, are four of seven people accused of 127 charges which include the alleged rape of young boy.
Other charges faced by the family include kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, of a child and producing child abuse material.
It’s alleged the family filmed the rapes at their Blue Mountains circus school with the charges relating to the alleged abuse of three boys between 2014 and 2016.
One of the most heinous allegations is against burlesque dancer Yyani-Rose Cook-Williams, 29, (pictured)
Court documents have also revealed allegations of ‘blood rituals’ having been performed on some of the victims.
All four accused have pleaded not guilty to all charges , the three other co-accused have not been named as they were under 18 at the time of the alleged offences.
Defence lawyer Bryan Wrench said the outcome of the case will be shown to be either the ‘worst case’ of child abuse in the state’s history or ‘one of the greatest miscarriages of justice’.
It’s alleged the family filmed the rapes at their Blue Mountains circus school with the charges relating to the alleged abuse of three boys between 2014 and 2016
Magistrate Clisdell said he understood apprehension around granting bail.
‘Anyone facing a potential life imprisonment is always going to be a flight risk,’ he said.
He also said he ‘couldn’t be satisfied there’s an unacceptable risk he’ll commit further offences’.
Mr Cook was the only accused to apply for bail today.
One mother said she had a bad ‘gut feeling’ about Therese Cook – but another parent believed ‘there were no red flags’
Detectives allege that his sister, Therese Ann Cook, (pictured) was the ringleader or not only participated in but organised the ‘systemic rape and detention of the boys’ which included getting her daughters to participate in the alleged rapes
In the past he had boasted of helping ‘at risk’ and ‘vulnerable’ children as a youth worker for Caretakers College and the Ted Noffs Foundation in the 1990s.
His LinkedIn profile also said he was a nurse at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in the 1980s.
Detectives allege that his sister, Therese Ann Cook, was the ringleader or not only participated in but organised the ‘systemic rape and detention of the boys’ which included getting her daughters to participate in the alleged rapes.
Clarissa Meredith, 23, is another of the seven co-accused in the alleged case of child abuse
She faces 43 charges herself, including sexual intercourse without consent of a person under ten years old, aggravated sexual assault in company and choke a person with intent to committing sexual assault indecent assault, deprive liberty.
Police allege a trio of little boys as young as three were repeatedly raped, assaulted and detained as part of the abuse.
The four accused have entered not guilty pleas to all charges. But the sheer depravity of the allegations has floored parents whose kids attended the college.
One mother said she had a bad ‘gut feeling’ about Therese Cook – but another parent believed ‘there were no red flags’.
A shocked parent said she had only ever thought Mrs Cook was a professional
A shocked parent said she had only ever thought Mrs Cook was a professional.
‘My daughter joined the circus classes last year and we attended weekly for a few terms,’ she said.
‘She loved it, loved Therese and we had absolutely no inkling of anything sinister. None whatsoever.’
The four named co-accused will next appear in court on June 1.
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