State care abuse highlighted in Taranaki case of historical child sex offending

The sexual abuse of a young girl has been revealed in court more than 30 years on. Photo / Stock Image 123rf

The "unacceptable and unforgivable" abuse a man suffered as a child while in state care has been highlighted in a case that saw him grow up to become a sex offender himself.

John Fryer, 58, sexually abused a young girl more than 30 years ago and today the historical matter was heard in New Plymouth District Court.

Fryer, who has already been placed on the register for child sex offenders after previous convictions for such crimes, offended against the girl between August 1988 and June 1989.

He was 25 at the time when the girl, who was then 5, would be left in his care at a New Plymouth address.

While she would be put to bed by her mother before Fryer's babysitting duties began, he would later let the girl get out of bed to watch television.

It was then that the offending would occur and Fryer would warn her not to tell anyone.

But when she was 12, she divulged the abuse to her mother, who in turn told the girl to "shut her mouth".

Now an adult, the woman told the court of the longstanding emotional trauma she has suffered as a result of the abuse.

The offending has haunted her, Judge Gregory Hikaka said, referencing the woman's victim impact statement.

"She felt a loss of sense of personal safety, trust in others, she felt dirty and damaged."

Fryer, who now resides in Gisborne, has admitted a representative charge of indecently assaulting a female under 12 in respect to the woman.

A cultural report canvassing his background informed the court that he too was a victim.

Judge Hikaka said Fryer had been in state care from the age of 10 until he was 18.

John Fryer appeared in New Plymouth District Court on Friday. Photo / Tara Shaskey

During that time he suffered "all sorts of abuse", which the judge described as significant and worrying.

"The regret I have when reading this material was you were in the care of the state and this sort of abuse you suffered in that care was just completely inappropriate and some could say unacceptable and unforgivable."

The impact of what he suffered was "obviously" carried into Fryer's early adult life, Judge Hikaka said.

But the report also spoke about how he had never sought to minimise his offending and the shame and embarrassment he felt about his actions.

Fryer had not committed any sexual offending in the past 30 years, which Judge Hikaka said was "greatly encouraging" and indicative of him managing the impact of his own abuse.

Following discounts for Fryer's guilty plea and for his personal circumstances, he was sentenced to 10 months' home detention and six months of post-detention conditions.

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