Convicted child sex offender and former TV star Robert Hughes will undergo a psychiatric exam before a decision is made on whether to grant him parole.

The NSW State Parole Authority says it has “stood over the parole decision” for Hughes, who starred as Martin Kelly in the long-running TV comedy series Hey Dad! from 1987-1994.

It has called for a “comprehensive psychological assessment” of his risk of re-offending, as well as a further report from Community Corrections, “given the complexities and seriousness” of the case.

The SPA would also hold a public review hearing before it makes a “final decision” on Hughes’ parole, it said in a statement on Thursday.

He is serving a sentence of 10 years and nine months, which is due to expire in January 2025. However, he has been eligible for parole since April 2020.

His previous attempts at securing parole have all failed because he was found to present “an unacceptable risk to community safety”.

The actor, who has renounced his Australian citizenship, was jailed for at least six years in 2014 after a jury found him guilty of 10 charges relating to sexual and indecent acts perpetrated on four young girls in the 1980s and 1990s.

When sentencing Hughes, Judge Peter Zahra described the actor as a sexual predator who systematically exploited young girls and relied on his position to ensure the compliance and silence of his victims.

A 2017 High Court challenge against his conviction was also dismissed.
Renouncing his citizenship means Hughes would be deported to Britain if released, where he would not be supervised in the community or compelled to comply with parole conditions.

The SPA previously said “it is not prepared to release the offender into any community without the safeguard of supervision or parole conditions”.

-AAP