A Rotorua man who sexually assaulted a young girl has been sentenced to 12-and-a-half years in prison.
Joseph Tait, 47, appeared in the Rotorua District Court yesterday after he was previously found guilty by a jury of three charges of indecent assault and one charge of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection. The offending took place over a 17-month period.
Two of the indecent assault charges were representative, meaning they happened more than once.
In her victim impact statement the victim said Tait used to threaten to "waste her" and "give her a hiding" if she told anybody about the offending.
She said she used to cry when she thought about what Tait had done but she was ready to move on with her life.
Judge Phillip Cooper said the victim was 5 years old when the offending started and the nature of it "escalated in seriousness as the girl got older".
"It is clear your offending was premeditated as you took the young girl to secluded areas where you would then indecently assault her.
"Your continued denial of the charges is a red flag. If your denial is maintained, it will be a roadblock to rehabilitation," he told Tait.