01 February 2024 , 14:25
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Butlin’s has sacked a children’s lifeguard at its Minehead resort after they discovered he was a convicted paedophile.
Dean Carelse, a former water polo and rugby coach, was sentenced to jail in Queensland, Australia in 2022 after pleading guilty to almost 20 charges, including grooming a 13-year-old teenage boy and possession of thousands of images of child exploitation. Alarm bells have been raised over how authorities and Butlin's took so long to pick up the offences despite background checks being done.
The offences occurred while Carelse, 43, was a teacher at a private school on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast during the late 2010s. After his sentence, he was deported back to his native South Africa the following year with no restrictions placed on his movements. An investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) managed to track him down to Butlin’s and also found several photographs of Carelse in his lifeguard uniform posted by colleagues as late as last week.
The court heard during his trial at Maroochydore Magistrate's Court in March 2022 that he would use his phone to make indecent recordings of the children in their swimwear in November 2019. Defence counsel Ben Powers said at the time his client appeared before the court extremely remorseful and understood he had committed a "gross breach of trust" as a teacher. He said his client felt the use of child exploitation material was "shameful".
Butlin's confirmed to the Mirror that Carelse joined its lifeguard team 10 months ago, however, they now know that he falsified information on his application and he no longer works for them "with immediate effect." An official UK criminal check, obtained by the ABC and co-signed by an international recruiter, lists Carelse as having no previous criminal convictions, and none recorded in the database of individuals barred from working with children. The enhanced certificate, issued by Britain’s Disclosure and Barring Service in March 2023, lists Carelse’s job as a child workforce lifeguard at Butlin’s Minehead.
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The resort's Splash Waterworlds, where Carelse worked, allows children over the age of eight to swim without adult supervision, according to Butlin's website. A Butlin's spokesman told the Mirror: "Upon being made aware, we immediately conducted 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 came back clear. The team member falsified information on their application, and we can confirm they no longer work for us. In addition, there have been no complaints or issues raised against them. Due to the severity of this we have reviewed our policy and can confirm additional checks for existing international team and future international applicants will be carried out."
Carelse was highly regarded in the Queensland water polo world and in 2019 was coaching three separate age groups competing in the state titles in Brisbane. Before moving to Australia, he was a successful water polo and rugby coach and taught at a top private school in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, where he coached a teenage World Cup-winning Springboks captain Siya Kolisi.
A Home Office spokesperson told the Mirror: “DBS checks will include details of an individual’s criminal history in the United Kingdom, which is held on the Police National Computer. In most cases, it will not include details of any criminal records from abroad. Immigration applicants are required to disclose previous offences and criminality. Individuals who do not disclose these details can have their applications refused and will be considered for deportation at the earliest opportunity.