A young man accused of using the internet to groom a 14-year-old Taupo girl for sex is still to enter a plea to the charge, after his counsel requested a further remand for a psychiatric assessment.
The 21-year-old Wellington man has continuing interim name suppression.
He has been
on bail since his first appearance in Taupo District Court last month when police arrested him after turning up at an alleged meeting place.
The man's lawyer, Steven Clarkson, yesterday requested in the Taupo District Court a further remand without plea, saying "substantial" disclosure documents (of information gathered by police) had been received only on Monday.
Judge Phillip Cooper said he had seen the affidavit filed in court and felt interim name suppression should continue.
He also felt that, given medical and other information, it was appropriate a psychiatric report was called for.
The accused's bail conditions were altered to enable him to attend the Mason Clinic in Auckland this month. He was remanded to reappear in the Taupo Court on March 14.
At the time of the man's arrest last month, Taupo police said he had met the girl through an internet chat room and the pair had eventually begun texting each other.
Police allege he travelled to Taupo with the intention of having sex with the girl, even though he was aware of her age.
Detective Sergeant Allan Humphries said police were alerted to the situation when contacted by the girl's parents on the weekend before the meeting to tell them of the man's alleged actions and intentions.
The charge involves the offence of meeting with a young person after sexual grooming and carries a maximum penalty of seven years in jail.
It is believed the case is the first since an amendment to the 1961 Crimes Act was introduced to combat safety-threatening access to children and young people which new technology has opened up.
- NZPA
