Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds was a familiar face in Tasmanian policing, a mentor, a coach, a man people trusted.

But on a quiet night in Westbury, everything shifted. Just hours after celebrating his wedding anniversary, four officers from Professional Standards knocked on his door with a warrant to seize his devices. The allegation: Reynolds was a pedophile.

In this first episode, we unravel the final 24 hours of a highly decorated cop whose name later surfaced in the Weiss Inquiry, the coronial inquest, and the investigation into the death of 15-year-old Eden Westbrook. From whistleblowers to former colleagues who once admired him, the picture that emerges is darker than anyone imagined.

This is the moment the cracks appear the night a respected officer became the centre of one of Tasmania’s most disturbing hidden histories. And as we dig, it becomes clear: what looked like the end of the story was only the beginning.

if you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at podshape@proton.me

If you’d like to hear episodes ad-free and early, subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts.

If this episode has raised difficult feelings for you, support is available:


Lifeline: 13 11 14 — https://www.lifeline.org.au


Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 — https://kidshelpline.com.au


1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 — https://www.1800respect.org.au

A Parliamentary Inquiry has now been established into Tasmania Police's responses to allegations of officer misconduct, including the handling of the Paul Reynolds matter.

The Committee is inviting submissions from members of the public, current and former police officers, victims, witnesses and anyone with information relevant to the inquiry. Submissions close on 4 September 2026.

For more information or to make a submission, visit:

https://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/committees/house-of-assembly/standing-committees/government-administration-committee-b/inquiries/inquiry-into-tasmania-police-responses-to-allegations-of-officer-misconduct

 

Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds was a familiar face in Tasmanian policing, a mentor, a coach, a man people trusted.
But on a quiet night in Westbury, everything shifted. Just hours after celebrating his wedding anniversary, four officers from Professional Standards knocked on his door with a warrant to seize his devices. The allegation: Reynolds was a pedophile.
In this first episode, we unravel the final 24 hours of a highly decorated cop whose name later surfaced in the Weiss Inquiry, the coronial inquest, and the investigation into the death of 15-year-old Eden Westbrook. From whistleblowers to former colleagues who once admired him, the picture that emerges is darker than anyone imagined.
This is the moment the cracks appear the night a respected officer became the centre of one of Tasmania&rsquo;s most disturbing hidden histories. And as we dig, it becomes clear: what looked like the end of the story was only the beginning.
if you have information that you would like to share, email us anonymously at <a href="mailto:podshape@proton.me">podshape@proton.me</a>
If you&rsquo;d like to hear episodes ad-free and early, subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts.
If this episode has raised difficult feelings for you, support is available:
<ul data-start="1139" data-end="1515">
<li data-start="1139" data-end="1195">
Lifeline: 13 11 14 &mdash; <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au" data-start="1166" data-end="1193">https://www.lifeline.org.au</a>
</li>
<li data-start="1196" data-end="1261">
Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800 &mdash; <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au" data-start="1232" data-end="1259">https://kidshelpline.com.au</a>
</li>
<li data-start="1262" data-end="1328">
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732 &mdash; <a href="https://www.1800respect.org.au" data-start="1296" data-end="1326">https://www.1800respect.org.au</a>
</li>
</ul>
<hr>
A Parliamentary Inquiry has now been established into&nbsp;Tasmania Police's responses to allegations of officer misconduct, including the handling of the Paul Reynolds matter.
The Committee is inviting submissions from members of the public, current and former police officers, victims, witnesses and anyone with information relevant to the inquiry.&nbsp;Submissions close on 4 September 2026.
For more information or to make a submission, visit:
<a href="https://urlwatch.com/urlwatch?b=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cucGFybGlhbWVudC50YXMuZ292LmF1L2NvbW1pdHRlZXMvaG91c2Utb2YtYXNzZW1ibHkvc3RhbmRpbmctY29tbWl0dGVlcy9nb3Zlcm5tZW50LWFkbWluaXN0cmF0aW9uLWNvbW1pdHRlZS1iL2lucXVpcmllcy9pbnF1aXJ5LWludG8tdGFzbWFuaWEtcG9saWNlLXJlc3BvbnNlcy10by1hbGxlZ2F0aW9ucy1vZi1vZmZpY2VyLW1pc2NvbmR1Y3Q=&amp;m=_5TrW7jAGxzLl9rzVISvX9hATaMWqOC9UD4snfHxgboENPI_MRDg0Zi4rJyd-qAudBOYcwcrrT5RYP8DS3SZfMuxXo3ai3lYank2wYsXppFJT7vfandiL4ti2xTE3KNgXcIxunNEft5hjLDOQX29YHrjcIr5eritqfWfCAwzSMmyz1uEO0JMwK7tgRoFu-7Ky9Gg21FnXrJ-taQ8gTq2VXQVlXjYWkTmCgC-rFz2pf_TBh7WHlSAbdalt5nhpmdFAOJYyLs1kq4FNG1w5zNjZhlKZDcnsB4D9isaRJr3jgTtg7OlknE6bei9pSdNbmzLmbIXuICGKk4aBMSmgS75D2dH2uUHGSMJ&amp;s=mh8EU4Xr36y-xhGH&amp;k=AQIDAHg9BbVlbTgch-TY82RRwgJmGyT3bQ79ldaFW1O4xZ5sIgFerVMNjV9gPYM0PamMhv5CAAAAfjB8BgkqhkiG9w0BBwagbzBtAgEAMGgGCSqGSIb3DQEHATAeBglghkgBZQMEAS4wEQQM8XCcd0os6sLRlS32AgEQgDuEFq4D43LUIZYT8QC4RwNxbhAon0iej9MrzM9Iw-yAdgW1fUKbjtds1-cOO3uOL6CztlX_kLwGBgKOMg==&amp;bs=R_w5VSnUx1H3xkjfkSsNigrBZ_E64izPCWDVYroYxds=&amp;domain=parliament.tas.gov.au&amp;lng=en" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="0">https://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/committees/house-of-assembly/standing-committees/government-administration-committee-b/inquiries/inquiry-into-tasmania-police-responses-to-allegations-of-officer-misconduct</a>
&nbsp;

A senior cop. Decades of rumours. A trail of victim-survivors, buried complaints, and a police culture that looked the other way. Badge of Betrayal blows open the true story of Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds, the high-ranking Tasmanian officer who rose through the force while dark allegations swirled behind him. 

From the producers who brought you Our Little Edey, this series follows the threads others left untouched. As the walls close in, new leads emerge, connections surface, and the line between institutional failure and deliberate protection becomes disturbingly blurred. 

Support Our Independent Storytelling on Patreon here 

With whistleblowers breaking ranks, insiders exposing cover-ups, and victim-survivors finally being heard, Badge of Betrayal reveals how a man trusted with power was able to hide in plain sight for decades. 

If you're interested at reaching a trusted Australian audience for your buisness in any one of our shows, book a free call here  

A senior cop. Decades of rumours. A trail of victim-survivors, buried complaints, and a police culture that looked the other way. Badge of Betrayal blows open the true story of Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds, the high-ranking Tasmanian officer who rose through the force while dark allegations swirled behind him.&nbsp;
From the producers who brought you Our Little Edey, this series follows the threads others left untouched. As the walls close in, new leads emerge, connections surface, and the line between institutional failure and deliberate protection becomes disturbingly blurred.&nbsp;
Support Our Independent Storytelling on Patreon <a href="https://patreon.com/podshapetruecrime?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink">here&nbsp;</a>
With whistleblowers breaking ranks, insiders exposing cover-ups, and victim-survivors finally being heard, Badge of Betrayal reveals how a man trusted with power was able to hide in plain sight for decades.&nbsp;
If you're interested at reaching a trusted Australian audience for your buisness in any one of our shows, book a free call&nbsp;<a href="https://simple-promise.replit.app/">here&nbsp; </a>

With whistleblowers breaking ranks, insiders exposing cover-ups, and victim-survivors finally being heard, Badge of Betrayal reveals how a man trusted with power was able to hide in plain sight for decades.

Badge of Betrayal

A senior cop. Decades of rumours. A trail of victim-survivors, buried complaints and a police culture that looked the other way. Badge of Betrayal blows open the true story of Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds the high-ranking Tasmanian officer who rose through the force while dark allegations swirled behind him. 

From the producers who brought you Our Little Edey, this series follows the threads others left untouched. As the walls close in, new leads emerge, connections surface, and the line between institutional failure and deliberate protection becomes disturbingly blurred. 

With whistleblowers breaking ranks, insiders exposing cover-ups, and victim-survivors finally being heard, Badge of Betrayal reveals how a man trusted with power was able to hide in plain sight for decades. 

A senior cop. Decades of rumours. A trail of victim-survivors, buried complaints and a police culture that looked the other way. Badge of Betrayal blows open the true story of Senior Sergeant Paul Reynolds the high-ranking Tasmanian officer who rose through the force while dark allegations swirled behind him.&nbsp;
From the producers who brought you Our Little Edey, this series follows the threads others left untouched. As the walls close in, new leads emerge, connections surface, and the line between institutional failure and deliberate protection becomes disturbingly blurred.&nbsp;
With whistleblowers breaking ranks, insiders exposing cover-ups, and victim-survivors finally being heard, Badge of Betrayal reveals how a man trusted with power was able to hide in plain sight for decades.&nbsp;

The Beginning of the Betrayal

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/67d141d5-19c5-46ba-9a75-b39800758884/transcript