A former Havelock North Primary School teacher, Charles John Michael Harter, 64, who was sentenced in 2014 to three years and four months in prison for molesting nine female pupils, is to be released on parole this month.
One of his conditions of release is that he is not allowedto attempt to contact his victims or enter Hawke's Bay without the written consent of his parole officer. He is to remain at an undisclosed location in the Wellington region.
In a decision released this month, the Parole Board said it was "satisfied on what we consider to be reasonable grounds that if Mr Harter is released he will not pose an undue risk to the safety of the community or any person or class of person. In reaching that view we have, as required by that section, had regard to the support and supervision available to him and to the public interest in his reintegration as a law abiding citizen."
The Board said Harter had acknowledged the trauma and hurt that he had caused to the victims and their families and would respond readily to any restorative justice initiative.
Arrested on August 11, 2014, Harter pleaded guilty on September 2 that year to nine charges representing multiple offences on each complainant dating back to the start of the school year in February.
