S1 07: Navigating to Safety

Mapping precious last steps

Oliver Ben Gerrish is every parent’s worst nightmare – charismatic and cunning, he represents the most dangerous of serial predators.

By the end of his reign of terror, ‘Big Ben’ as he came to be known, had irreparably damaged the lives of more than 550 children and their families.

In this episode, Mike and Tory discuss the key learnings from studying Gerrish’s modus operandi. Mike walks through the boldest of Gerrish’s crimes, painting a terrifying picture of how easily a skilled predator can gain the trust of otherwise protective parents.

Tory and Mike then explore the cold case disappearance of 13-year-old Melbourne schoolgirl Bung Siriboon – who simply vanished on the short ten-minute walk from her house to her school.

Mike challenges the rumour suggesting contacts close to home were responsible for Bung’s disappearance, instead exploring the theory that at some point between 8.00am and 8.30am on 2 June, 2011 – along Harcourt Road, Boronia – Bung came face-to-face with a monster like Gerrish.

"He was really a... patient predatory paedophile. Once he selected his preferred targets, he would spend weeks, literally weeks grooming not only the child, but the child's parents.”

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Mapping Evil is hosted by award-winning journalist Tory Shepherd, featuring renowned criminal profiler, cold case specialist, and crime mapping master – Mike King. Offering listeners a look at real crimes through an experienced investigator’s eye, Mapping Evil takes you on a journey into the minds of predators and the lives of those tasked with bringing them to justice.

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