Child abuser jailed

He was filming her, photographing her and touching her while she slept, and no-one would have known if his mother had not found a USB stick he had lost. The man, whose name is suppressed to protect his victim and her family, had been in an on-off relationship with the 11-year-old girl’s mother. Then his own mother found a USB stick that had fallen out of his pocket. It had the abuse images on it. Yesterday, Wellington District Court judge Peter Butler jailed the man for two years and eight months. The man had been taking the pictures and touching the girl at night during 2015 and 2017. She does not know she is his victim. A victim impact statement from the girl’s mother said the thought of leaving her children with anyone now terrified her. The man pleaded guilty to 12 charges of making and copying objectionable materials and doing an indecent act on a child. Judge Butler said it was a gross breach of trust, and he could not see that home detention would be available. He ordered the man’s name to be put on the child sex offender register. Defence lawyer Louise Sziranyi said there was no grooming of the child and no distribution of the images.