George Ace was found guilty of 46 charges of child sexual abuse. Photo / 123rf
WARNING: This article discusses child sexual abuse and may be upsetting to some readers.
For almost 50 years, a paedophile hid the abuse he inflicted on two victims – until they found the courage to expose him.
George Ace, 68, has now been sentenced in the Whangārei District Court after being found guilty by a jury of 46 charges of child sexual abuse.
As he faced being sent to prison, one victim told the court she believed there were other victims and urged them to step forward.
Thirty-seven of the charges related to sexual offending against a boy under 12, while the remaining were associated with a female under 12. The offending was historical, repeated and spanned years.
Both victims, who were unaware Ace was offending against the other at the time, read victim impact statements to the court detailing the trauma they had carried for decades.
The male said he had lived with low self-esteem and a persistent feeling of worthlessness.
“The hardest part is knowing I wasn’t the only victim.”
The man requested that the court impose a significant jail sentence on Ace so he could reclaim a part of his life that was stolen.
“I’ve carried this trauma for far too long. Crimes like these should never be taken lightly.”
The female victim said Ace had manipulated her to carry out “pure acts of evil”.
She had also struggled through her adult life and felt haunted by dark thoughts of the past.
“Today, I will not be silenced,” she said.
“Today I stand, not as a victim any more but as a survivor.
“What lies in the dark eventually comes to the light.”
The woman believed they were not Ace’s only victims and encouraged others to come forward.
“I’m not the only one. One day, they will find the strength to come forward.
“I encourage anyone who has been sexually abused to use their voice and speak up, so that others find strength in their story.”
Crown lawyer Ina Stewart said Ace’s offending was serious, particularly against the male, pointing out Ace engaged in a wide range of sexual conduct with the children.
Stewart highlighted the nearly 20‑year age gap between Ace and one of the victims, underscoring that both had placed their trust in him.
“The defendant used this trust placed in him by family members and the victims themselves to gain access to them,” Stewart said.
Stewart also pointed out that Ace had threatened to harm the boy’s family if he disclosed any of the abuse and assaulted him on one occasion by throwing him against a weight bench.
The Crown argued Ace should serve half of his sentence before he became eligible for parole.
“That is required because of the lack of remorse and insight shown from the defendant; the fact that the standard minimum period of imprisonment is one-third is not sufficient,” Stewart said.
Ace’s lawyer, Arthur Fairley, said the minimum period of imprisonment (MPI) should be left to the Parole Board.
“Whatever the starting point is, it’s going to be a significant term of imprisonment,” Fairley said.
“An MPI has to be assessed and analysed on a case-by-case basis.”
Judge Philip Rzepecky said that despite the jury finding Ace guilty, he continued to deny the offending.
Ace had no conviction history of sexual abuse, and Judge Rzepecky said there was nothing in his background that could explain why he offended against children.
Judge Rzepecky acknowledged the victims’ lives had been significantly affected and made much harder as a result of Ace’s offending.
“They both gave powerful words in today’s sentencing exercise.”
The judge said Ace abused his position of trust in the children’s lives and created opportunities to take advantage of them.
“The nature and degree of sexual conduct was very serious.
“These were depraved acts on innocent children for your own sexual gratification.”
Ace was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment and will be required to serve half of the sentence before going before the Parole Board.
He was also added to the child sex offender register.
Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.