'You've left your children home alone with a pedophile'

Trust betrayed: the 10-year-old girl raped by her mother's partner has found comfort with her grandmother. Picture: Nathan Edwards Source: The Daily Telegraph

They fell in love and she had three more children.

It was only when she was in hospital with complications with her pregnancy late last year that a DOCS caseworker told her: "You have left your children home alone with a pedophile."

The woman checked herself out of a hospital in the NSW Mid-North Coast only to discover her now 10-year-old daughter from a previous relationship had been raped by the pervert.

The woman said DOCS, initially called in to investigate her for allegedly yelling at her toddler, then removed all four children on the grounds that she had failed to protect them from a sex offender.

It was not the first time the man, while on the child protection register, had moved in with a woman and abused her daughter. His last victim was just 13 months old when he committed an act of indecency on her.

In that case, the police had previously warned the baby's mother that her new partner was a registered child offender - but she stayed with him.

The man has another unrelated conviction for indecent assault of a child under 10.

In the past decade he has worked in a childcare centre, as a cleaner in shopping mall toilets and as a community volunteer.

NSW Police Minister Michael Daley refused to comment on whether police could tell the new partners of pedophiles that they were on the child protection register, to which only some police have access.

A spokesman said: "By law, I cannot confirm or deny the identity of anybody on the child protection register."

The woman's eldest daughter is now living with her grandmother in Port Macquarie but she is struggling to come to terms with her rape.

"She's not even close to wanting to talk about it, we have been taking her to counselling since January," her grandmother said.

The offender is due to be sentenced in Newcastle District Court on September 9.

Police said those on the child protection register were required to tell police their address, where they work, travel plans, whether they have contact with children and the details of their car.

The commander of the sex crimes squad Detective Superintendent John Kerlatec said there was almost 100 per cent compliance with legislation.

Opposition Community Services spokeswoman Pru Goward said: "I think we need to review the laws to ensure that every new partner is checked to make sure there are no children living there."