He had previously been jailed in 1989 for the manslaughter of Jason Swift, 14, who was killed by a paedophile gang, but he was released early.
His 19-year sentence was reduced to 16 years on appeal, and he was released after nine years amid public outcry.
Jason was abducted from east London in 1985, with his body eventually found in Essex.
The paedophile gang was linked to several other child murders, including those of Barry Lewis and Mark Tildesley.
In 1999, Cooke was given two life sentences after admitting a systematic campaign of abuse against two young brothers in the 1970s, following a TV appeal after his early release.
He was told at the time he would not be considered for release until he had served at least five years, and only if the Parole Board was satisfied he was no longer a danger to the public.
A document summarising the decision, seen by the BBC, said Cooke’s “behaviour in prison had been mixed and had provoked concerns and even allegations over the years.
It stated that no-one involved in the assessment “could recommend that Mr Cooke could be safely released on parole licence or transferred to open conditions at this point.
Cooke was previously named by a fellow abuser as one of the killers of seven-year-old Mark Tildesley, who vanished in June 1984.
Mark disappeared after visiting a funfair near his home in Wokingham, Berkshire, but his body has never been found.
Cooke, a fairground worker, was never charged in relation to the case.
He was jailed in the 1980s for other paedophile offences – and he was a focus of a major police investigation into the deaths of various young boys during the period.
