Northland man jailed for 13 years over historical sexual abuse of six boys

William Stephen Easton during an earlier court appearance. Photo / RNZ / Peter de Graaf

By RNZ

A Kerikeri man who abused six boys more than two decades ago, while he was part of an underground sect, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.

William Stephen Easton, known as Bill Easton, has been sentenced in the Kaikohe District Court on 55 charges related to historical sexual offending against children.

Handing down the sentence, Judge Brandt Shortland said the level of Easton’s offending was unprecedented, it was premeditated and a betrayal of trust.

He said the offending spanned four decades including when he was a church leader, a position of trust that he abused.

The 80-year-old was a minister of the Two by Twos, also known as The Truth, a secretive Christian sect.

Responding to the sentence, the police said they wanted to acknowledge the victims and their families, and their ordeal.

No conviction would ever take back what had happened, Detective Constable Mark Reid said.

He commended those who came forward to report the offending and who testified at the trial.

Easton was a well-known figure in his community for many years and in continual contact with children and young people.

It could be extremely hard and at times distressing to report or talk about incidents of this nature, but police took sexual offending seriously.

They had officers dedicated to these cases, and they would ensure victims had a safe space to report offending in confidence.

SEXUAL HARM

Where to get help: If it’s an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111. If you’ve ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7: • Call 0800 044 334 • Text 4334 • Email support@safetotalk.nz • For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list. If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it’s not your fault.