WA sex offender denied prison release

A repeat sex offender who preyed on women and children for 12 years will remain behind bars indefinitely after a Perth judge ruled he was a "serious danger" to the community.

Fabian Alec Coffin, 41, committed a series of offences between 1990 and 2002, beginning with the violent rape of a 16-year-old girl.

The West Australian Supreme Court heard on Friday that not all Coffin's offending involved violence but much of it was against younger victims, who he touched inappropriately while they were asleep.

Another rape victim was an 11-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted three times.

Coffin has been in custody since August 2002. He became eligible for parole in 2009 but the Prisoners Review Board refused to release him.

His maximum term of imprisonment was due to expire in February but the Director of Public Prosecutions applied for an order that he be detained in custody for an indefinite term for control, care and treatment.

"There are no conditions that could be imposed at this stage that would adequately reduce the risk that he would commit further serious sexual offences if he were to be released into the community on a supervision order," Justice Stephen Hall said.

"In these circumstances, the need to ensure adequate protection of the community requires that an indefinite detention order be made."

Justice Hall said Coffin had admitted being attracted to, and fantasising about, girls and that made him a high risk of reoffending.

To improve his chances of release in the future, Coffin was told to see a psychologist regularly, lose weight with assistance from a dietitian, and consult an endocrinologist to determine his suitability for anti-libidinal drugs.