‘Just want him to be stopped’: Victim-survivor issues brave warning about convicted rapist

A victim-survivor of a convicted rapist is bravely speaking out to warn others about her attacker, after it emerged he appears to be back to his old tricks, using the NDIS to try to meet up with young female carers.

Thomas Hofer, a 56-year-old former real estate agent, spent more than six years in prison for raping two young women.

One of the girls was then-17-year-old Grace Tibbles.

Now 29, she has bravely waived her legal right to anonymity to speak out against Hofer.

Tibbles had been homeless for two years and was on the verge of being kicked out of her refuge when she saw a sharehouse listing by Hofer on Flatmates.com.

“I just hoped that I would get myself out of homelessness and be able to find a place to live and I was very hopeful, honestly, for my future,” she told A Current Affair.

“I was like ‘this is a nice person’,” she added.

“So we went around a few different bars and he just kept buying me drinks.”

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Hofer plied the teenager with alcohol before Tibbles went with him to inspect the apartment.

“The ad that he put up made it seem that there was multiple rooms to stay in but it was actually a one-bedroom apartment with one bed that he wanted me to share his bed,” she said.

Hofer then held her down and carried out the final phase of his sick and evil plan.

“He knows that wasn't consensual,” Tibbles said.

“He knows … that's why he planned it that way …

“When I did go to the hospital that night, the lady that did the rape kit on me told me she looked at me and she was in shock.

“She said, ‘I had a girl here last night tell me the exact same story’, and that's when I found out – that's gotta be him, he's done this already.”

Hofer was convicted and sent to jail, but has never admitted to his crimes and still maintains his innocence.

Two years ago, he was put back in prison, this time for sexual touching without consent.

He was released in March this year, but is back before the courts, charged in relation to trying to obtain a VPN, or virtual private network, which can be used to hide the location of a device, or conceal online activity.

Hofer is also using the taxpayer-funded National Disability Insurance Scheme to seek out "fit" and "female" NDIS support workers.

In a post to a backpackers' site on Facebook, Hofer said he was seeking motivated, reliable and personable "female" workers to provide a full profile photograph and respond to him directly only via encrypted apps like WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram.

A Current Affair caught up with Hofer at a cafe, where he thought he was meeting a young woman who had seen his post.

He denied he was engaging in any wrongdoing.

“I'm on the NDIS. I'm not doing anything wrong,” he said.

In 2024, A Current Affair exposed a loophole which allowed criminals entitled to NDIS support, such as Hofer, to engage their own NDIS care providers.

Since then, those with serious criminal convictions are banned from self-managing their NDIS funds – although that doesn’t seem to be stopping Thomas Hofer.

“I just want him to be stopped,” Tibbles said.

“I just feel that the women who are potentially meeting with him have no idea that he's a rapist,” she added.

“I don't want him to have that sort of freedom to be able to make ads and have potentially vulnerable women with him in a room.”

In an email to A Current Affair, Hofer said, “I am NDIS-funded and maintain that I am entitled to advertise for support workers over 18, and refer them to relevant participants or services, subject to applicable NDIS requirements and legal obligations”.

On Monday morning, police arrested Hofer in Sydney. For legal reasons, A Current Affair cannot reveal details of his charge.

Hofer faced a local court and pleaded not guilty. He was refused bail.

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Statement from an NDIA spokesperson

Community safety is a key consideration for courts when making decisions about parole.

The NDIA takes action within its legal responsibilities to manage risks and strengthen oversight of NDIS funding.

Under amendments to the NDIS Act passed in 2024, any NDIS participant convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment of two years or more is required to have their NDIS funding Agency-managed.

Where risks are identified, the NDIA can also refuse a request for self-management or require supports to be Agency-managed.

State and territory governments remain responsible for community safety, the management of offenders and conditions imposed by the justice system.

The Commonwealth, states and territories have agreed that the NDIS is not responsible for delivering criminal justice services, funding broader offending prevention and diversion programs, or managing community corrections.

The NDIA also employs specialist Justice Liaison Officers who work directly with NDIS participants and stakeholders to help ensure supports are appropriate and responsibilities between the NDIS and justice systems are clear.