Man jailed for raping girl while on community work sentence

Logan Pearce was sentenced to 7-1/2 years imprisonment, with a 3-1/2 year minimum non-parole period, for the rape of a girl described as shy and naive. File photo / NZ Herald

A man who raped a schoolgirl while serving a sentence of community work will spend at least 3-1/2 years in jail.

Logan Pearce, 21, was sentenced in Hamilton District Court yesterday to 7-1/2 years imprisonment, with a 3-1/2 year minimum non-parole period, for the rape of a girl described as shy and naive.

He had been serving his sentence of 300 hours community work for dishonesty offending when the incident happened, the Waikato Times reported.

The court was told Pearce made advances and initiated a sexually explicit conversation the first time they were left unsupervised.

She was forced to the ground and raped when they were alone again.

Pearce said the sex was consensual but a jury found him guilty of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection and sexual violation by rape.

Community Probation Services manager Heather Mackie said Pearce had no previous convictions for sex offending.

"The placement of this offender was appropriate given the nature of his offending and his offending history," she told the paper.

- NZPA