Sex offender supplied drugs to girl

A Christchurch man gave cannabis, tobacco and other drugs to a 12-year-old girl before having sex with her. File photo / NZ Herald

A man who supplied a girl aged 12 to 13 with tobacco, cannabis, and other drugs and had sex with her, has been jailed for two years.

Shaun Graeme Donaghy, 27, was appearing for sentence in a Christchurch District Court session at the Rangiora Court House after admitting a charge of having unlawful sexual connection with the under-age girl.

Judge Stephen Erber ordered that he be assessed for treatment at the Kia Marama sex offenders' programme while serving his sentence.

Donaghy has now asked to attend the programme although he told his probation officer at the pre-sentence interview that he was not interested in any intervention or change of attitude. That led probation to assess him as being a high risk of reoffending.

The girl - Donaghy says she told him she was 14 - has not complained about the effects of at least five sexual encounters. But she has complained that he introduced her to drugs and now she doesn't want to stop using cannabis. The offending has alienated her from her friends.

"She wants you to go to jail for a long time and says this offending has put a lot of strain on her family," the judge told Donaghy.

Her mother reported that the girl had "reacted adversely" to the sex offending, but the judge said he inferred that it had made her "even more of a handful" for her parents.

"This has had a considerable impact on the marriage."

Judge Erber said Donaghy felt aggrieved at being charged in a situation where the girl had "come on" to him, and this attitude indicated he had some sense of entitlement.

He said the aggravating features were the 13-year disparity in their ages at the time, the fact that the girl was aged 12 to 13, and his supply of drugs to her - "either to persuade her or repay her".

"Clearly she had been a problem child before you came on the scene, but it is idle to suggest that there were no ill effects from your behaviour," said the judge.

- NZPA