Shortcut: My Predator Has Been Released From Prison

Summary

Australian True Crime: "Shortcut: My Predator Has Been Released From Prison"
Date: March 9, 2026
Host: Meshel Laurie
Guest: Alesha (Victim/Survivor)

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Episode Overview

This episode of Australian True Crime revisits the story of Alesha, a survivor whose childhood sexual assault case stayed unsolved for 26 years before her perpetrator, Sterling Bauer, was captured and convicted. Eight years after the original episode, Alesha returns to update listeners on her life, the release and supervision of her offender, and her reflections on the Australian judicial process for sexual offenders. The discussion delves into post-conviction realities for both survivors and communities, focusing on the impact of offender release.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Alesha's Journey Since the Conviction

• Life Changes

  • Alesha shares that she is now a single mother to two daughters, highlighting the complexities and heightened vigilance she feels as a parent post-trauma ([01:37]).
    • “Having two daughters has been quite tricky. Wanting to go to sleepovers and things like that and you just always wary.” – Alesha, [01:42]

• Parental Fears and Tighter Boundaries

  • Both Meshel and Alesha discuss the shift in attitudes about children’s safety, sleepovers, and independence compared to their own childhoods ([01:55]–[02:46]).
    • “It’s funny, I find that when I was a kid, we were at sleepovers literally every weekend. And now kids don't do them. And I think it's parents like us who just go, nah.” – Meshel, [01:55]

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The Offender’s Conviction & Release

• Sentencing and Imprisonment

  • Sterling Bauer received a six-year non-parole sentence and served the full time ([03:18]).
    • “He got six years for non parole and he ended up serving his full six years.” – Alesha, [03:18]

• Feelings Post-Conviction

  • Alesha reflects that she didn’t anticipate the aftermath of his eventual release, initially feeling closure but then facing renewed anxiety upon his reintroduction to the community ([03:28]–[04:07]).
    • “You don't actually think about when he's released…When I came in to the podcast, you sort of felt like it was done. That's it.” – Alesha, [03:30]

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Supervision Orders & Risk Assessments

• Interim and Full Supervision Orders

  • Upon release, Bauer was subject to a four-month interim supervision order due to being classified as an immediate to high risk for reoffending, then moved to a “farm jail” with strict movement restrictions ([04:07]–[05:21]).
    • “They still posed him to be immediate to high risk of reoffending…He hadn’t been active in any [rehabilitation programs].” – Alesha, [04:14], [04:22], [04:52]

• Further Court Proceedings

  • In September 2021, a four-year supervision order was imposed.
  • Alesha actively participated in court sessions, learning about additional offending behavior (such as stalking and exploitation) revealed in proceedings ([07:58]).
    • “If I wasn't involved in the court case, all I get told is the result... I want to know how they came to whatever result it is.” – Alesha, [06:46]
    • “If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have known his other crimes.” – Alesha, [07:43]

• Contradicting Expert Testimony

  • At a 2025 review, the prosecution’s psychologist assessed Bauer’s risk as “moderate to high,” while the defense insisted on “low risk.” The judge ultimately lifted the supervision order in May 2025, ahead of its scheduled end ([11:03]–[13:16]).
    • “The judge has revoked the offender's supervision order, which means he's no longer subject to the supervision order.” – Alesha quoting correspondence, [12:49]

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The System, Its Flaws, and Survivor Impact

• Lack of Ongoing Notification

  • With the end of the supervision order, Alesha is no longer on the victim’s register and will not be informed of Bauer’s movements or any future offenses ([13:16]–[13:33]).
    • “I'm not on the victim's register anymore.” – Alesha, [13:33]
    • “They don't have to alert you if he moves back to Melbourne…” – Meshel, [13:30]

• The Emotional and Practical Aftermath for Survivors

  • Alesha reflects on her mental health, the persistent sense of loss of her identity, and lack of support, contrasting it with the welfare available to offenders ([14:34]–[15:46]).
    • “The biggest thing that I get angry and upset about … I never got to know the person who I was supposed to be. I've always been the girl that was raped. And that's what hurts the most.” – Alesha, [14:34]
    • “He's had all this access to all these people that could help change him. I've had access to no one. It's so unfair.” – Alesha, [15:31]

• Reporting Encouragement

  • Despite her difficulties, Alesha strongly urges other survivors to report, emphasizing the necessity of engaging with the system, imperfect as it may be ([13:38]–[14:17]).
    • “I don't want this, me telling my story to turn anybody off, wanting to report...people need to know, because I had no idea.” – Alesha, [13:48]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Systemic Risk

  • “If you reckon he's ready for release, move him in next to your place. Or your grandkids house.” – Meshel, [05:34]

• On Impact and Identity

  • “I never got to know the person who I was supposed to be. I've always been the girl that was raped.” – Alesha, [14:34]

• On Supervision Orders

  • “For whatever reason, the judge just revoked it.” – Alesha, [12:51]

• Confronting the Offender in Court

  • Alesha describes the jarring experience seeing Bauer unguarded and free in court:
    • “He was sitting directly in front of me…and it's him, it's him.” – Alesha, [10:08]

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Important Timestamps

• [00:54] – Reflection on the original investigation and conviction
• [01:37] – Alesha’s life changes post-conviction
• [03:18] – Details on offender’s sentence
• [04:07] – Discussion on interim supervision orders and “farm jail”
• [07:43] – Revelation of further offending in court
• [10:08] – Encountering Bauer in court post-release
• [12:49] – Notification of supervision order revoked
• [13:30] – Discussion on “victim’s register” status and lack of future notifications
• [14:34] – Alesha’s reflection on identity and impact

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Episode Tone and Language

The dialogue throughout is candid, raw, and at times vulnerable. Both Meshel and Alesha speak informally but with deep gravity, openly discussing the emotional toll and the often unsatisfactory nature of justice for sexual assault survivors.

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Support resources are provided at the close of the episode, encouraging anyone affected to seek help.

Transcript

[A]

The following podcast contains accounts of child sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised. This is Australian True Crime with Michelle Laurie. Last week we reissued an episode from 2018, one of our earliest episodes, in fact, in which Alesha told us about the childhood sexual assault that became a 26 year cold case. The good news was that her offender, Sterling Bauer, was captured and convicted for the crime. Alicia joins us today on the podcast and also on the YouTube channel to give us an update on what's happened since then and the whereabouts of her offender. This is Australian True Crime. We acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which this podcast is created, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin Nation. So it's been such a long time. I can't believe it.

[B]

Eight years.

[A]

And it was a sort of a jubilant episode in the end because it was all about your pushing after 20 something years, asking the police to open 26 to reopen the case. And you got a conviction so rare. We know the statistics in Australia.

[B]

100% terrible. And especially after such a long time.

[A]

Yeah. So if you're listening or watching this podcast and you haven't heard the previous one, the last one that we put out, which was a replay of your first interview. Yes, I would suggest you do, because in that episode you did speak very candidly about what happened to you when you were a little girl.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

When you were seven. What has happened since then? Tell us about what's been going on in your life for the last seven, eight years.

[B]

Well, I'm now a single mum.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So I had a relationship breakup.

[A]

Me too. Single mum.

[B]

Yeah. So, you know, that in itself is quite tricky. Having two daughters has been quite tricky. Wanting to go to sleepovers and things like that and you just always wary.

[A]

It's funny, I find that when I was a kid, we were at sleepovers literally every weekend. And now kids don't do them. And I think it's parents like us who just go, nah. Or a lot of kids seem to be allowed at my place. I think because I am a single mum. Yep.

[B]

I haven't stopped my kids if they wanted to go to a sleepover. I've just been. I guess I've chosen where they were allowed to go and sleepover. Make sure that I know the parents quite well. You know, it can still happen at any time, but. Yeah, just that.

[A]

But you can't relax like.

[B]

No. Yeah. 100.

[A]

Walking to school.

[B]

They never walk to school.

[A]

My mum lives like three blocks away from us. And I was thinking Gosh, when I was a kid, I would have been sent every day. Take this.

[B]

Abbott and Dance didn't even know where we were on the weekends. No, you know, there was no phones, there was no tracking, there was nothing and we were never home.

[A]

And still we know statistically what happened to you is unlikely, but the fact that.

[B]

But it happened to me in my mind.

[A]

It happened to a friend of mine, happened to a lady. I know being you, I can never get over it. It could happen.

[B]

And as you said, statistically it's more likely to be somebody that you know, but who's not to say that like me, when you're out and about, there's somebody that lives by, that's watching you that you are totally oblivious of. You have no idea. And that's exactly what happened to Maeve

[A]

Sterling Bauer is his name. He was convicted. What sort of sent did he get?

[B]

So he got six years for non parole and he ended up serving his full six years.

[A]

So now that you look back at, how do you feel now about the court case, how have things?

[B]

Well, obviously I'm still happy that, you know, obviously he was in jail. It's funny because when I thought about him being arrested and I thought about him being in jail. This is going to sound really silly, but you don't actually think about when he's released, so. Well, I didn't anyway because it did. When I came in to the podcast, you sort of felt like it was done that. That's it. I got notification in March of 2021 to say that he was going due to be released on 13 May. However, there was an application made to put him on an interim supervision order.

[A]

Yeah. Explain that to us. So there's this staggered release. Right. It's designed to try and ease offenders back into.

[B]

Back into. They still posed him to be immediate to high risk of reoffending. Yeah.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

So which to me it just seems crazy after six years in jail, he would have been given a lot of opportunities to, you know, do classes and things to therapy. Yep. To help him get over it. He hadn't been active in any of them, so. Yeah. So he was then put on an interim supervision order, which was just for four months. So what that means is he doesn't get released just to let go. Just see you later. Off you go. He gets put in what I call a farm jail.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

So it's where they have like their own little unit. They have to be back by 10pm and they can't leave until 7am so

[A]

they can Start trying to get a job and things like that.

[B]

Yeah. So. And start reintegrating themselves into the community. He had. There were lots. There's lots of conditions on that, some of which are things like ankle monitoring and as I said, having to be in at times. He was not allowed to go near children, speak to children or anyone under the ages of 18.

[A]

But, you know, it's so frustrating. Like he was never allowed to rape children, actually.

[B]

Exactly. Exactly.

[A]

But he did.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I can't get over you're saying that he was still classified as a high risk. That's making me physically sick.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, I always think, well, if you reckon he's ready for release, move him in next to your place.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

Or your grandkids house.

[B]

Yeah. Have him right near your kids school.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Yep. So your kids are walking home and he's watching them and.

[A]

Yeah. If he's, you know, you're calling him high risk on one hand, that's your level of certification that you've put on him and then putting it back. I know people often think I'm soft on offenders. Like I am interested in talking to offenders, but I have this. I don't know what it is, fear, fury about sex offenders.

[B]

Sex offenders are the lowest of the

[A]

low and I do get a bit like, lock them up, throw away the key, I don't want them out, throw away. They've proven they can't live in society, you know.

[B]

Yep. And they're going after our most vulnerable.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, these are children and I. I hope he listens to this because I want him to know it's not just what he did back to me in 1989. Like, this has affected me for my whole life, it's affected my girl's life, it's affected just about every past relationship that I've ever had. This is not an easy road to walk down. So. Yeah. So he was put on that four month interim supervision order in 2021. Yep. After the four months. And this is the thing as well, is that I have been involved in all of the court cases. For me, that gives me power. I'm also. I like to know the ins and outs of everything and that's, I think, how my brain processes. If I wasn't involved in the court case, all I get told is the result. Yep. I want to know how they came to whatever result it is. So April 27th of 2021, that was obviously during COVID so everything was shut down. And that was via Zoom. Again, as I said, I like to be in the court cases, because if I wasn't, I wouldn't have known his other crimes. Oh, they were things like stalking. He was taking exploitation material and doing sex acts while this child was lying face down on a bed.

[A]

So he's not coming across as a reformed character?

[B]

No, not at all.

[A]

It doesn't appear that his behaviour's changed at all, let alone improved.

[B]

No. So then back In September of 2021, we went back to court about putting a permanent supervision order in place. So this was just a four month temporary one. And then he was put on a four year supervision order.

[A]

Wow. Yep. That's good, right?

[B]

Yep. So then I wasn't contacted again until October 2023. So you just go living your life, you know, best you can. And it was for review of the supervision order. So on the 18th of December, we went back into court. So went to the actual county court. We're out of COVID I went there, Victims register lady met me at the court and I knew he was not in custody, but it just didn't quite register. I guess when we got up to whatever level it was at the county court, we, you know, saw that the courtroom was over there and we went and sat in this spot and I could see there was all these people outside the court, not sort of thinking, oh, what are they all here for? It's a bit strange. Anyway, when was time to go into the courtroom? First thing I noticed when I walked in the court was there was a room, the door that I had just walked through. And then there was only one other door. And I'm thinking to myself, that's the door that the judge is going to come out of. Surely he's not going to come out of the same door the judge is. And I'm, you know, thinking all these things in my head. Anyway, I sit down and there was two guys sitting in front of me, an elderly gentleman, the elderly gentleman I recognized straight away as his dad. And I nudged the victim's register next to me and I'm like, oh my God, that's his dad. And there was two women in the back of the court and I'm assuming that they were with in that group of people. So I'm assuming that maybe they were his daughters or, you know, other family. And I'm sitting there and I'm thinking, where's he going to come out of? And next thing I've just gone, oh my gosh, it's him. He was sitting directly in front of

[A]

me next to his dad.

[B]

Yeah. And then it just hit me he's not in custody anymore. He's not going to come out of the back room like he used to with handcuffs on. He was sitting directly in front of me and I've looked down and I could see his ankle and I could literally. I nudged the victim's register lady and I'm like, it's him, it's him. We stopped for a break and I said, being smoker, right, wanna go downstairs and have a cigarette? Well, he had the same idea. So I've stood up and he and his dad have stood up and we've walked, you know, along the aisle of chairs. Well, his dad's done the, you know, Here you go. You go first.

[A]

After you met him.

[B]

Yep. And I'm like, yeah, thanks. But then Sterling actually held the door open for me whilst I walked through it.

[A]

I assume he didn't know who you were.

[B]

He'd have to know.

[A]

Do you think he did?

[B]

He'd have to know who else would be sitting in there. And he's seen me at every. I've been there at every single one. He'd have to know it was me. So it was in December that we had that. The review. Then we heard again from the court on the 14th of February of 2025, and there was a court date sent for another review of the supervision order in April. So he's. He was placed on that supervision order for four years. I was not sure what the outcome was going to be. But from going to court, which we went to in May, it looked to me like the prosecution, actually, it seemed like they wanted it extended. They had again, their criminal psychologist, the same one that has worked with him the whole way through. She was like, no, he's not a great guy. Whereas the defense's criminal, you know, of course, was like, oh, he's not that bad. He had said that he had a low chance of reoffending, where she's like, no, it's moderate to high chance of reoffending. And she was still saying that back then. So I was really hopeful that we were, you know, it was going to be extended. And then I'd also found out that, you know, he was enjoying going to trivia nights and going to see live music and. But he hadn't attempted to get a job because he thought that, wow, what's the point in getting a job? Because I want to move back to Queensland. And that was then adjourned. So didn't hear anything until the 27th of May that I get an email. And it was the outcome of the supervision Order review. So there was no going back to court as we normally would have. And I just received an email to say the victim's register have been informed that the judge has revoked the offender's supervision order, which means he's no longer subject to the supervision order, which was previously due to expire on 22nd September. So for whatever reason, the judge just revoked it.

[A]

So what happens now? I think I know the answer to this question, but I gotta ask anyway. Are you informed if he offends again? Like, I don't believe so, No. I don't think so, no. So now it's like, your case is over, it's done. So they don't have to alert you if he moves back to Melbourne or they don't.

[B]

I'm not on the victim's register anymore. I don't want this, me telling my story to turn anybody off, wanting to report. Report.

[A]

Yeah, that's a really good point. Yeah.

[B]

I don't want this. Like, it hasn't been a fun experience. I wouldn't wish it on anybody, but this is the system and people need to know, because I had no idea. And as I said, I don't want it. I really, really want to stress that I don't want to turn anybody off because it is so important to report. Yes, he's only on the sex offender register for 15 years, but he's on a sex offender register for 15 years.

[A]

And he did do six years in jail.

[B]

Exactly. And then four years on a supervision

[A]

order, which feels like not enough. But then I've never been in jail for six years, so I imagine it's pretty shit.

[B]

Well, think of all the things that he's missed out on with his family.

[A]

That's right. Yeah.

[B]

The biggest thing that I get angry and upset about, and with all of the mental health struggles that I've had, I never got to know the person who I was supposed to be.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I've always been the girl that was raped. And that's, I think, what hurts the most. Yeah. Would I be in the situation that I am now, you know, single mum, barely scraping by. I've been under the CAT team, the crisis assessment team at the hospital twice in the last few years. I have dentures at the front now and I went with no, you know, front teeth for months. And that was all through the community dentist. You know, I wonder if he got a toothache in jail.

[A]

They fix it. Yep. Yeah.

[B]

He would have seen a dentist straight away.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

He's had all this access to all these people that could help change him. I've had access to no one. It's so unfair.

[A]

Thanks for joining us on Australian True Crime. You can watch today's episode on our YouTube channel. There's a link in the show Notes and there are also links to our Spotify playlists. If you need support after listening to this podcast, you can call Lifeline on 131114 or contact 1-800-Respect on 1-800-737-732 or 1-800-Respect.org au Indigenous Australians can contact 13 YARN on 139276 or 13 YARN.

[B]

The producers of this podcast recognise the traditional owners of the land on which it's recorded. They pay respect to the Aboriginal elders past, present and those emerging.