Jared Cook at his sentencing in the Wellington District Court today. Photo / Catherine Hutton.
A former doctor facing a raft of sex charges against teenage boys has escaped jail, despite criticism from the Crown that his contrition was a case of “too little too late”.
Today in the Wellington District Court, Jared Cook’s name suppression lapsed as he was sentenced after admitting multiple charges involving teenage boys.
It is not his first time before the court. He pleaded guilty to assaulting young boys while working as a camp counsellor in 1997. The judge noted that offending had an “indecent component” to it.
Today, the court heard that Cook inappropriately touched teenage boys after befriending their families between 2014 and 2020.
The touching happened over their clothing and bedding and often at his home.
“What marks the offending is its ongoing, persistent, and repeated nature,” Judge Bruce Davidson told him.
A camera later found by police in Cook’s bathroom included footage of three males, one of whom has never been identified, changing, showering and toileting.
Police also found a number of objectionable publications at Cook’s home, including males involved in sexual poses.
Victim impact statements read to the court by the victims and their families, or read out on their behalf, spelt out the ongoing impact of the offending, including the significant betrayal and breach of trust they felt.
Many spoke of how the experience had changed them, leaving them with a deep distrust of people.
Several spoke of the difficulties they now had sleeping and their fear of hidden cameras.
“It’s something I will remember forever, as much as I try to forget,” one victim told the court.
Their parents spoke of the guilt they’d felt over what had happened.
“To have the innocence of our boys taken away and our trust broken will stay with us forever,” one told the court.
“Talking about Jared is like opening a sewer tank; it makes you feel sick,” another said.
Crown prosecutor Tim Bain told the court at an earlier sentencing indication, Cook appeared to lack remorse and seemed unwilling to seek treatment, to make an emotional harm payment or take part in restorative justice.
At today’s sentencing, he remained sceptical of Cook’s efforts to make amends, pointing to a letter from a psychiatrist which talked about the potential damage to one boy.
“Which boy? We know of at least four,” Bain asked the judge.
Bain also told the court there was evidence he’d not been residing at his bail address in Wellington, opting instead to live on his boat in the Marlborough Sounds, without the permission of the court or police.
And yesterday, the Crown had received three short typed letters, purportedly expressing Cook’s remorse.
“In my submission, words are easy, particularly when some of them appear to be cut and pasted between the three different letters,” he said.
“All of that suggests Dr Cook lacks insight into the risks he poses, and doesn’t understand how his actions are continuing to affect the people against whom he has offended.”
But in response, Cook’s lawyer, Christopher Stevenson, KC, submitted his client had shown insight, remorse and was committed to an ongoing process of rehabilitation.
He pointed to the probation report, which said Cook had expressed his remorse, noting that the guilt and shame had never left him.
A report from his psychiatrist also pointed out he’d engaged well in therapeutic conversations and was devastated by his behaviour. He’d also expressed a willingness to continue with his treatment.
Stevenson also told the court that there had been no bail breaches.
Finally, he’d offered to make an emotional harm payment of $5000 to each of his victims.
In sentencing, Judge Davidson said the Crown was very suspicious and doubtful of Cook’s remorse and commitment to treatment, and therefore a sentence of home detention was off the table.
“The Crown submits that you have really offered too little, too late. You have downplayed your earlier 1997 offending, you have not shown any depth of insight into your offending, you may not have been entirely frank with your psychiatrist, and you seem to have misled the court in relation to your bail arrangements.”
On the other hand, the judge said, Stevenson urged him to impose home detention, particularly given the impact on his professional and social life.
He’s also given a commitment to treatment and approached Wellstop, a programme to treat sex offenders.
Judge Davidson said he wasn’t as sceptical as the Crown, but said at sentencing, he expected a greater picture of Cook’s remorse, insight into his offending and willingness to seek treatment.
But he told the court Cook had pleaded guilty and what had been provided was enough to tip the balance to home detention, adding that Cook had lost almost everything, including his chosen career, social standing and social networks.
“Your future employment prospects are not good,” Judge Davidson told the 52-year-old.
According to the Medical Council of NZ, the former Waikanae GP has not held a practising certificate since March 2021.
On the charge of doing an indecent act on a young person, two representative charges of doing an indecent act on a young person, as well as representative charges of possession of an objectionable publication and making an intimate visual recording, Cook was sentenced to 10 months’ home detention.
The judge also imposed conditions, including that Cook was not to contact his victims or be in the presence of anyone under the age of 16, without the permission of a probation officer.
He was also ordered to undergo psychiatric treatment and counselling, attend a Wellstop assessment and not to use electronic devices, except those approved by a probation officer.
He also ordered Cook to pay three of his victims $5000 each, immediately, and that Cook’s name was to be placed on the sex offenders register.
Catherine Hutton is an Open Justice reporter, based in Wellington. She has worked as a journalist at the Waikato Times and RNZ. Most recently she was working as a media adviser at the Ministry of Justice.