Judge David Cameron granted the man interim name suppression and released him on bail without plea until June 24.
The mother of one of the alleged victims described the scenes outside the court as “pretty bad”.
“I was not expecting that. It was quite a scene in the carpark.”
She said a lawyer called two police officers over who helped de-escalate the situation.
The woman told the Herald seeing the man accused of abusing her son appear in court was confronting.
”I thought I’d be okay but I just felt such a strong emotion.
”I had to just remain in cool mode. It was quite hard. I thought I’d be okay but when you’re confronted with it then it’s a different story.”
In a statement last week, Detective Inspector Natalie Nelson, Counties Manukau CIB, said charges had been laid “as part of an ongoing investigation into historical sexual assault allegations”.
They dated back to at least 2020 and involved “an individual connected to a youth group” in Counties Manukau.
“The man faces six charges of indecent assault, and at this stage the charges relate to offending against two victims,” Nelson said.
“Police are still making inquiries including speaking with other individuals and as such further charges cannot be ruled out.
“We continue to encourage anyone who has matters they need to raise with police to come forward. Any complaints will be treated in confidence and police will ensure support services are made available.”
Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers social issues including sexual assault, workplace misconduct, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.
