October 05, 2012

Paedophile confessed to more crimes in prison

By David Clarkson

An additional two years nine months jail was imposed on a 25-year-old paedophile who confessed to more offending while under treatment at the Kia Marama programme in Christchurch Men?s Prison.

The man has name suppression to protect his victims. His offending was described by Judge John Clapham in Christchurch District Court as a breach of trust.

In 2008, Judge Michael Radford sentenced him to five year?s jail in the Wanganui District Court. The case was taken to appeal by the Crown and the sentence was increased to seven years.

Defence counsel Michael Starling said that since then the man had disclosed the further offending to his therapist at the sex offenders' programme, to his group, and finally in a statement to the police.

The police had then tried to track down the complainants, but the summary of facts was based on the man?s disclosure to the police.

He had admitted three charges of sexual violation and one charge of doing an indecent act.

Judge Clapham noted that the man had been aged only 16 to 18 years at the time of the additional offending he now admitted.

He had to consider what total sentence would have been imposed in 2008, if the new offences had been before the judge then, and decided to add two years nine months as a cumulative term on top of the seven-year sentence the man is still serving.

In 2008, the man admitted using his mobile phone to film and distribute videos of himself performing sexual acts with a six-year-old girl. He pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual connection and rape of a girl under 12.

He had contacted another man on his phone, and sent a picture of a little girl. He then sent a text saying he would like to record himself and her having sex.

When he sent the other man a video of the girl performing oral sex on him, and having full sexual intercourse, the man took the videos to the police who then made their arrest. The offender had hundreds of images of child abuse pornography.

Judge Radford noted at the 2008 sentencing that the offender had a history of receiving very bad treatment in his younger days. He said the man would need to undergo treatment while in prison or he would remain a threat or danger to the community.