Child-sex offender on bail near kids

A Northland community is concerned a man who admitted child sex offences was bailed ahead of his sentencing today to his home, near a school and early childhood centre. Photo / Thinkstock

Members of a small Northland community are outraged a convicted child-sex offender has been on bail living near a school and early childhood centre.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victims, was to be sentenced in court today on several child-sex charges.

He pleaded guilty on the day of his trial several months ago to seven counts of doing an indecent act on a female aged between 12 and 16 and one charge of unlawful sexual connection with a child while outside New Zealand.

A community member told the Northern Advocate the man's presence in the area had caused untold stress and tension, some people taking to writing graffiti on signs pointing to the man's home saying "paedophile''.

The woman said parents in the community had been living in fear after the man was bailed back to his home, which is close to an early childhood centre and school.

"People in the community aren't happy about it and we're wondering why he's been allowed to stay in the community, and so close to our kids, after pleading guilty to serious sex offences against kids,'' the woman said.

"It's horrible for us and putting people in a very awkward position. Everybody knows about it and there was even graffiti about it on the school wall.''

Another woman from the community said as the man had pleaded guilty to the serious charges against young girls, he should have been kept in custody until sentencing to protect the small community.

"It's not good to have him in our community because it's causing untold stress on many people, particularly parents of young girls. I understand that he has name suppression to protect his victims, but everybody here knows about it and we don't want him here,'' the woman said.

"He's pleaded guilty to serious charges of sexually abusing kids so why should we have to put up with him in our community.

"We can't see him being supervised at all to ensure he's not a risk and we hope he goes to jail for a long time so we won't have to go through the trauma of having him in our community causing all this fear and mistrust. This community doesn't know how to deal with something like this ... we just can't believe it's been allowed to happen.''

The man declined to comment to the Northern Advocate.