The former police officer turned talent agent who represented child performers at the Royal Perth Show says she was not invited back after she sent organizers a letter outlining concerns about safety and vetting requirements for working with children.

It follows ABC reports last week that a convicted child sex offender was working at an exhibition showing animal demonstrations to children this year, prompting Western Australia Police to work with organizers to review their policies.

BettyJo Francis, a former Washington State Police child sexual abuse detective who also worked on the Claremont serial killer case, now runs PADWA, a talent agency representing child and adult performers in Washington state.

In 2022 she worked with children at the Royal Perth Show who performed on a community stage.

Ms. Francis said she was concerned about the lack of regulation of people in the space, where children change clothes and move around on and off stage.

“My main concern was for the people who were handling them, the kids during, you know, going on stage and backstage, and the presenters… the staff,” she said.

She was also concerned about the physical condition of the premises, where performers had to change clothes for a year in a back room next to the electric stoves used at the Scitech exhibition, with no working lighting.

In early 2023, she wrote to the Royal Agricultural Society outlining the concerns and offering her services to ensure the sites were better maintained and staff working with children were available to process permits.

But she said they turned down her offer and she was not invited to participate with the artists that year.

“I made some recommendations to them in a document that was like a risk assessment, given my background in policing and human resources, and they thanked us for our time, which was kind of it,” she said.

“We never heard from them again after that.”

Children’s safety comes first

She said she wanted to raise awareness and would “kick myself for not speaking out.”

“It’s not about pointing fingers, it’s about each of us doing our part,” she said.

“When it comes to the safety of children … it is of paramount importance.”

Ms Francis said because the event was subsidized by the government and encouraged the participation of families and children, the responsibility for ensuring the safety of children lay with the organizers and those taking part, and working with child checks was an important step.

Royal Agricultural Society WA (RASWA) chief executive Robyn Sermon said the decision to reject PADWA’s offer of services in this area was a commercial one.

“PADWA has also entered into some commercial agreements at the Royal Show, working with a third-party entertainment contractor,” Ms Sermon said.

She said they had also considered Ms Francis’s feedback about the physical layout of the premises and had “taken action where necessary”.

Ms. Sermon said performers on the public stage must be accompanied by their parents or guardians to and from the venue, and it is currently run by someone with a child care background check.

The show was forced to review its child screening policies after an ABC investigation identified a man with a history of child sex offenses (the most serious type) who ran a booth this year promoting his agribusiness at the show.

He remains a reportable offender and under Washington State law would not receive a check for working with children.

While the Royal Perth Show requires child screening for its volunteers, commercial vendors are exempt, something WA Police Minister Paul Papalia said last week officers were working with show organizers to check.

Ms Sermon said the show had now exceeded its legal requirements for handling child screenings, but said it was currently working with WA Police and the Department of Communities’ child screening unit to review its current practices.

“With more than 3,000 people working or volunteering at the fair, this review process will take some time,” Ms. Sermon said.

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WA Premier Roger Cook said he was pleased the Royal Agricultural Society was reviewing its procedures to prevent the same thing happening again.

“These are fairly simple measures you could take, just ensuring that people (who) were running kiosks that were specifically aimed at young people had the necessary checks,” he said.

“There are hundreds of stalls at the Royal Show and literally tens of thousands of people who go there or participate in those stalls, so it’s a big task, but it would be great if the Royal Agricultural Society could take on these issues, and I understand that They’re doing it and reviewing their processes.”

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