A former Hutchins School teacher accused of being a paedophile and thought dead has been found alive and well in New Zealand.
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The AAP has reported that Ronald Thomas, 77, whose name surfaces during a royal commision into paedophiles last month, has rejected the allegations .
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse heard evidence in Hobart that Mr Thomas admitted to molesting a boy but fled the country to South Africa before he could be arrested.
However he denied the allegation to The Australian from his home in rural New Zealand.
"One of those (police) men came back two or three weeks later and I...said, `It's my word against yours'," The paper reported him saying.
"And he said `Yes ok,' so I said `Bye, bye'.''
New Zealand news website stuff.co.nz has reported that the New Zealand Teachers' Council confirmed he had taught here, and was seeking his file.
New Zealand police were also investigating whether he had been the subject of complaints.
The news outlet further reported that Thomas is living near Tangimoana, which has a population of about 300.
It has a small primary school catering for students aged five to 13. A bus service takes secondary school students 30 kilometres into Palmerston North on week days.
Tangimoana has few facilities or employment opportunities. It is best known as home to a spy base.