Man sentenced to jail for sex abuse of young girl

A Taranaki man has been sentenced to jail for the sexual abuse of an 8-year-old girl.

On at least five occasions, Wayne Joseph Urlich, 37, sexually abused the young girl with inappropriate touching.

He earlier pleaded guilty to one representative charge of unlawful sexual connection with a female under the age of 12, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years’ jail.

In the New Plymouth District Court on Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Justin Marinovich argued for a starting point within the vicinity of five to six years, saying the girl had been stripped of her innocence.

Aggravating factors included the vulnerability of the girl, a degree of premeditation, a breach of trust and the impact the offending has had on the victim, he said.

‘‘He took her from a confident, bubbly young girl to a scared girl with no confidence or trust in anyone,’’ Marinovich said, reading excerpts from a victim impact statement penned by the girl’s mum. ‘‘He knew exactly what he was doing and targeted an innocent, vulnerable girl.’’

Marinovich said the effects would be ongoing for the victim, who was now receiving counselling.

Defence lawyer Turitea Bolstad accepted the Crown’s aggravating factors. She said mitigating factors included her client’s guilty plea and his expression of remorse.

Urlich, who was supported in court by family, also had $5000 to offer the victim by way of an emotional harm reparation, she said.

Bolstad argued for a starting point of four to five years, saying Urlich has no previous convictions.

In his summary, Judge Sygrove said at the time of offending Urlich was experiencing difficulty maintaining a relationship with his own son. ‘‘You were feeling alone and depressed,’’ Sygrove said, referring to a presentence report on the defendant. ‘‘One thing led to another and you committed this offending.’’

He reiterated the impact of the abuse, saying the girl had suffered both long-term physical and psychological damage. The girl’s mother hoped the court would deal with Urlich ‘‘harshly’’, he said.

After adopting the Crown’s starting point, the judge applied discounts for a guilty plea, a show of remorse and the offer of reparation, ending in a sentence of three years and seven months’ jail for Urlich. He was added to the child sex offender’s register and had previously been issued his first strike warning.