Children?s rights advocate Sheelagh Cooper came out in full support of the Supreme Court?s sentencing of paedophile John Malcolm White, telling the court system must continue to deter criminals who prey on the young.

Mrs. Cooper, who runs the Coalition for the Protection of Children and has been an advocate of sentences indicative of crimes such as serious sexual assault, said White used his position of trust and power ? as a former Policeman ? over his victims.

Ms Cooper said White will be eligible for parole at some point.

?Often this eligibility is not taken into account in sentencing individuals with these kinds of crimes and the time for successful treatment intervention is often not provided,? she said.

Tuesday White was sentenced to spend 25 years in prison.

He was convicted by a jury on October 4 of ten charges of sexual assault including buggery, attempted buggery and sexual exploitation relating to three victims who were between the ages of nine and eleven at the time of the attacks.

Although the sentences for each charge ranged between ten and 20 years, and add to a total of 162 years, White will serve a total of 25 years as the sentences are to run concurrently.

Although Mrs. Cooper agreed with White?s sentence, she said it will ?some serious work to return him to the community as a productive member?.

She added: ?In the meantime his victims require a great deal of care and nurturing in order to fully recover from this devastating experience.?