A petition has been launched calling for an Auckland youth worker who groomed and sexually abused a young girl in his care to go to prison.
An Auckland youth worker who preyed on a 12-year-old girl, coercing her into performing sexual acts on him, will not have his sentence of home detention appealed.
On November 27, 23-year-old Devonte Vincent Walter Mulitalo was sentenced to home detention after earlier pleading guilty to one charge of sexual connectionwith a young person under 16, and a second charge of indecent communication with a young person.
The former youth worker, who was 22 at the time he abused a 12-year-old girl, was yesterday sentenced to home detention.
Just weeks before sentencing, Mulitalo posted a sickening image to social media mocking his victim - and gloating that he wouldn't be going to jail.
In his post, Mulitalo was handcuffed and dressed in a prison outfit, captioning the photo: "When y'all thought I was going in but then the game changed. #Wegood #Halloween2018" accompanied with a middle finger emoji.
Despite his disturbing post on social media, Mulitalo wrote an apology letter to his victim which was presented to the court.
The photograph Mulitalo posted before sentencing, apparently gloating about not going to prison. Photograph supplied
He was sentenced to 11 months home detention and was ordered to undertake the SAFE programme.
He was also added the child sex offender's register and has been banned from owning, possessing or using any electronic device capable of accessing the internet while on home detention.
Following the sentencing the Crown prosecutor asked Crown Law to review the case and consider whether an appeal could be advanced.
Today a Crown Law spokeswoman confirmed no appeal would be filed.
"The Deputy Solicitor-General (Criminal), as well as two other Crown counsel, have reviewed the sentence imposed on Mr Mulitalo in the District Court," she said.
"No error of principle is apparent in that sentence.
"Nor does it reach the threshold of being manifestly inadequate. In the circumstances, we do not consider there is any basis for an appeal."
She said police advised the victim's family of the Deputy Solicitor-General's decision on December 21.
At sentencing Crown prosecutor Henry Steele read victim impact statements to the court, outlining the significant effect Mulitalo's offending had on the girl and her family.
"Because of you my attitude and behaviour has gone really bad … I feel like it's all my fault," the young victim's statement read.
"I lost friends, I feel like a really bad person."
She said her relationship with her parents and schooling had suffered significantly.
She had also self harmed and struggled with suicidal thoughts.
Devonte Mulitalo was sentenced to home detention after sexually grooming and abusing a 12-year-old girl. He was a supervisor at Youth Town and the victim was under his watch at the time.
She felt like a "slut and a bitch" and felt she had been blamed by some for Mulitalo's offending.
"You manipulated me to do what you wanted …"
The victim's father also had his statement read.
He described his reaction when he heard that his daughter had been engaging sexually with Mulitalo.
"My heart broke and I felt ill … I couldn't hold back my tears," he said.
The girl's mother said the impact on her was immense - she suffered two miscarriages and has battled with a "deep" depression as a result of what happened to her child.
"It turned our world upside down … It was the lowest point of our lives," her statement said.
"I will never be the same person again … what transpired almost ended our family.
"We are all hurting emotionally, physically and financially … every day we are dealing with this, it doesn't go away."
