A former New Plymouth sports coach has been sent to prison, for having a sexual encounter with one of the teens he coached.
The man has been sentenced to two years and four months prison, after admitting to three charges relating to an encounter he had with the 15-year-old, one night in January.
The judge told the New Plymouth District Court the 33-year-old had abused the trust he'd earned from his victim.
He groomed her for the event, sending her flirty texts and giving her beer on the night.
In her victim impact statement, the teen said her former coach was someone she truly admired, and didn't want to disappoint.