Clyde Rymer sentencing: Paedophile jailed for historic child sexual abuse

Clyde Rymer was sentenced today in Auckland District Court. Photo / NZME

Convicted paedophile Clyde Francis Rymer was facing 21 new historic child abuse charges last year when he violated his bail terms by showing up at a now-adult accuser's house - urging him to rescind the allegations before violating him again.

The 72-year-old was sentenced today to nine years and seven months' prison after pleading guilty to the child sexual abuse charges and to one additional count of indecent assault on the now-28-year-old.

Auckland District Court Judge Nevin Dawson cited the reoffending as he also ordered that Rymer serve at least half his sentence before he can apply for parole.

"Your conduct ... is utterly and totally unacceptable to the community, and it cannot be tolerated," Dawson said, noting the "profound and long-lasting detrimental effect" it has had on his victims.

"Your offending was a gross abuse of trust."

Rymer was described as a trusted family friend of two victims who were targeted between 2000 and 2007, when they both were between the ages of 12 and 16.

Corey Johnson, now 33, said he was a youth standout in 10-pin bowling who represented New Zealand internationally when he was preyed upon by Rymer, who had a mutual involvement in the sport. He can no longer enjoy the sport, he said, because it is full of traumatic memories.

"For 20 years I have lived with the silence and guilt of being violated," he said during an emotional victim impact statement. "The defendant took away my innocence from a young age and thrust me into an adult world I didn't understand."

As a result, he said, he has lived in fear, sometimes unable to work and other times wrestling with suicidal thoughts.

"I spent my formative years believing that what the defendant did to me caused me to be gay, and I hated myself for it," he said through tears. "I thought it would turn me into a predator like him.

"I spent years thinking, 'why me?', thinking it was a punishment for something I'd done."

Names of sexual abuse victims are automatically suppressed, but Johnson asked the judge to lift that suppression today.

"I don't want to be silenced any more," he explained.

Judge Nevin Dawson sentenced Clyde Rymer today for more than 20 historic child sex abuse charges. Photo / Jason Oxenham

The second accuser said Rymer would visit his grandparents' house for barbecues up to three times a month between 2005 and 2007, often staying the night and sneaking into the child's room to abuse him.

Rymer twice returned to his house uninvited last year, despite being ordered by the court to have no contact with his accusers, according to an agreed summary of facts.

"Mr Rymer was intoxicated at the time. He spent around four hours at the house, which included discussions about the current court case," the court documents state. "Mr Rymer told [the accuser] he might as well drop the charges because Mr Rymer was going to win.

"He also said to [the accuser], 'Let's drop all this and move on. I didn't mean to hurt you, mate.'"

The second time he showed up, Rymer began talking in a sexual nature before touching the man inappropriately. The victim told police he was frozen for about 30 seconds before the incident ended.

In a letter to the court, Rymer expressed remorse for his actions.

"I accept I took advantage of them. In hindsight, it was not the right thing to do," he said. "I'm deeply sorry. It weighs heavily on my mind."

But Judge Dawson also noted he minimised his offending, writing he thought at the time it was what the boys wanted.

Johnson, who wore a shirt emblazoned with the words "support survivors", asked the judge to sentence Rymer to the full extent of the law.

"What you did was inexcusable and I hope you know I'll never forgive you for it," he told his abuser.

"I hope you never have the opportunity to hurt anyone else ever again."