Teacher David Gregory Shaw was caught committing indecent acts at the Dudley Park Aquatic Centre in Rangiora. Photo / NZME / File
WARNING: This story deals with the sexual exploitation of children.
Angry parents have confronted teacher David Shaw, who masturbated in front of children in the changing rooms at a swimming pool, and spoken of the lasting impacts of his behaviour.
“This incident has affected them. For us as parents, it has been unsettling, it has damaged our trust,” a mother told him in the Christchurch District Court.
“Going to the public pool now carries anxiety. This incident has introduced a level of vigilance; we are constantly questioning whether our children can be left alone.”
Shaw, 63, stood motionless as his sentencing hearing this week was disrupted at times by a distraught father in the public gallery.
He called out Shaw as a sexual predator.
The father stood alongside the mother of his son as she read a victim impact statement.
“Our son is a caring 10-year-old boy. On the day of the incident, he and his best friend were having fun. In a single moment, you shattered that sense of normalcy. When you exposed yourself to them, you took away their innocence,” she said.
“Nothing will ever return the innocence before that happened.
“His friends and family have been affected. You took a part of our son we will never get back.
“We do not want another child to go through what we went through. The harm you caused is real and lasting; you need help.”
Another mother was too upset to address Shaw, so her impact statement was read by a police prosecutor.
“My son is now 10; he used to love going to swimming pools.
“Since this has happened, he has been clingy, angry and he has turned into a worried mess. I worry about his future.”
Shaw faced multiple indecent act charges after two separate incidents at Dudley Park Aquatic Centre in Rangiora in July last year.
The court heard that on July 3, he was seen in the male changing rooms, standing naked near two boys, aged 10 and 13.
The boys were getting changed and Shaw was applying what appeared to be moisturiser to his body, with one of his legs up on the changing room bench.
A witness entered a shower and returned 10 minutes later to find Shaw in the same position, touching his penis.
The witness made a noise, startling Shaw, who then got changed and left.
On July 27, Shaw was back at the pool where he followed two boys, aged 9 and 10, into the male changing rooms.
A naked Shaw approached the boys and proceeded to masturbate while staring at them.
A member of the public walked in and saw that Shaw was aroused and swaying his hips.
The witness told him to stop and called for help.
Shaw promptly got dressed and fled before staff could speak with him.
After police were called, Shaw told officers he had applied cream to his lower body after swimming and had not masturbated or swayed his body in front of any children.
However, in court, Shaw’s lawyer, James Rapley, KC, said his client had accepted responsibility, pleaded guilty and sought help.
He said Shaw had resigned from his job, was remorseful and was a low risk of reoffending.
Rapley said Shaw was a regular churchgoer.
Judge Tony Couch said the offending was serious and had a long-lasting effect on the boys and their families.
“Your offending is substantial. While there were brief periods of exposure, your conduct went well beyond that.
“On each occasion, you were masturbating while watching [the boys], you were close to the boys. On the second occasion, you followed them; this suggests premeditation.”
Of the mitigating factors, Judge Couch said that while Shaw was due credit for his guilty pleas, the amount was reduced because he delayed entering them.
“By delaying your guilty pleas, you have left these victims anxious.”
Shaw had made rehabilitative efforts since the offending, the judge said.
“I do accept that through the treatment you have received so far, you have a far greater understanding that what you did was fundamentally wrong.”
Judge Couch sentenced Shaw to six months of community detention and 15 months of intensive supervision.
Al Williams is an Open Justice reporter for the New Zealand Herald, based in Christchurch. He has worked in daily and community titles in New Zealand and overseas for the last 16 years. Most recently he was editor of the Hauraki-Coromandel Post, based in Whangamatā. He was previously deputy editor of the Cook Islands News.