File image. © Andrew Bardwell
Two child victims of a sex offender jailed for 13 years 6 months had kept their “poise and dignity” throughout the court process, a judge noted at the Christchurch District Court sentencing.
“This is a good indicator of their long term prognosis once this matter is fully behind them,” said Judge Raoul Neave as he jailed the 45-year-old.
The man had denied the offending but had been found guilty of five charges at the end of a jury trial in June. He has name suppression.
He was convicted of raping of a girl aged eight to ten years, indecent assault, and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection. Some of the offending involved a representative charge indicating it had happened repeatedly.
The Crown had charged him with digital penetration and oral sex offending and called evidence that he tried two or three times to force his penis into the girl.
The second complainant, who was a similar age, complained of being digitally penetrated. This offending happened about 14 years after the first.
The man told the first girl not to tell anyone because “she would not be believed and it would make it worse”, said the judge.
Crown prosecutor Claire Boshier said there could be only limited credit for good character or remorse because the offending had continued over such a long period.
Defence counsel Andrew McCormick said the man had been a contributing member of the community with a management role with a large national company, and involvement with sport.
Judge Neave said the victim impact statements made “distressing and depressing reading”. The older girl felt that her childhood had been tainted and she had lost her innocence. She felt she had been carrying a burden.
After making her disclosures about the offending she had felt guilt which was “utterly unwarranted”, said the judge. He told the man: “She needs to feel no remorse. The actions were entirely yours.”
The other victim felt she had “lost her future”.
Judge Neave gave some reduction to the sentence for the man’s contribution to the community and then imposed jail terms totalling 13 years 6 months.
“As well as destroying other people’s lives, you have destroyed your own,” he told the man.
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