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Home / New Zealand

Sexual predator groomed pre-teen stepdaughter then abused her for four years

NZ Herald
5 Dec, 2017 10:44 PM4 mins to read

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Sex offender stole young girl's innocence, court told. Photo / 123RF

Sex offender stole young girl's innocence, court told. Photo / 123RF

A sexual predator who groomed his pre-teen stepdaughter, sexually abused her for four years and threatened to hurt her if she spoke up has been jailed for 12 years.

The man appeared in court for sentencing today after being found guilty of more than 20 serious sex charges at a trial last month.

He cannot be named for legal reasons and his occupation is suppressed.

In an emotional victim impact statement, the young victim spoke of once loving the man and looking up to him as a father figure. But he abused her trust and repeatedly molested her from the age of 8 for his own sexual gratification.

"I was a kid and there were no boundaries with you. I was innocent of adult ways and you stole much of my innocence."

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She described being scared but did not reveal the abuse for four years because the man had threatened to hurt her, her sister and their mother if she spoke up.

"He said he would hurt me, and he did hurt me when he touched me."

The man had begun by exposing himself to the girl and her friends, but this escalated to physical sexual abuse.

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The offending had had a devastating and prolonged effect on her family. The girl described losing friendships and being verbally abused by classmates' parents.

"I did no wrong. I never did anything wrong."

She eventually confided in a school counsellor who alerted police and Child Youth and Family, sparking a criminal investigation against the man.

And though he was charged with a raft of sex crimes involving a minor, he was able to continue working in his chosen profession and at a part-time job that gave him access to under 19-year-old girls at a facility that also hosted kids' birthday parties, the Weekend Herald revealed last month.

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She told the man she was angry he had accused her of lying to get attention, and of making up the allegations after watching pornography.

"You are a vulgar, filthy person. You were a grown up and you shouldn't have done what you did."

The girl's mother told the court she was sickened to think of her former partner having abused his position of trust against her daughter.

"I loved him for six years. He was stepfather to my children. How could he do this to us?"

She described being told of the abuse and her whole world imploding.

"I realised that my daughter had lost her innocence. She had had a secret to bear for four years. In one moment my heart broke into a million pieces.

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"The impact was extreme and monumental. I wailed like some crazed woman.

"I should have helped my babies. I regret that I didn't help her that day. I'm so sorry that you had to suffer in silence."

The woman told the man he was disgusting and a sexual predator, who had stolen four years of her daughter's life but would eventually be erased from the family's memory.

However, the abuse had had a cruel and lasting effect on her daughter, who would require ongoing counselling as a result of his selfish actions.

"He is very calculating and evil. The rose-tinted spectacles are a thing of the past."

The judge said the man had committed a gross breach of trust on a vulnerable, young victim. The man had refused to take responsibility for his action and was now a "high risk, untreated sexual offender".

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"You were a stepfather to [the victim] She was entitled to love and support, not sexual exploitation for your own gratification."

The judge sentenced the man to 12 years in jail, with a minimum six years to be served, and urged authorities to give the man appropriate treatment while he was behind bar​s.

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