A convicted child sex offender from the far South Coast has died in jail after fresh charges were levelled against him in court last week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Mercury can reveal Corrective Services staff found the body of Eden man Reinhard Drenkhahn on Friday morning.
A Corrective Services spokesperson confirmed staff had discovered the 70-year-old "unresponsive in a common area" around 9.15am.
"[He was] pronounced deceased at 9.35am," the spokesperson said.
"Corrective Services NSW and NSW Police are investigating the incident."
Although the cause of death is yet to be revealed, the Mercury understands Drenkhahn took his own life.
Drenkhahn had been sentenced to two years jail after he was found guilty in late 2019 of multiple historical child sex offences at Eden and Wagga Wagga involving two now-adult victims, who were aged in their teens at the time of the assaults in the early 2000s.
Drenkhahn had been due to be released on parole this Friday, however police last week laid fresh charges against him stemming from separate allegations of sexual assault against two more victims.
Those offences are allegedly to have occurred during sporting club camping trips at Berkeley, Lake Illawarra and Bookham in the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Drenkhahn appeared in court via video link from jail on Tuesday, where Magistrate Gabriel Fleming told him he would be remaining in custody until at least the next court date on December 7.
Drenkhahn's death will be referred to the coroner.
If you require help contact Lifeline on 131114.
The Illawarra Mercury newsroom is funded by our readers. You can subscribe to support our journalism here.