Rugby coach jailed over sex crimes
An Auckland school rugby coach found guilty of sexually abusing 17 boys has been sentenced to 22 years in prison.
Alosio Taimo – a teacher’s aid – was convicted in October 2018 of 95 out of 105 charges relating to sex crimes after a threemonth trial. The offending spanned almost 30 years, and involved Taimo, 56, abusing boys aged 9 to 15.
Yesterday, he was sentenced in the High Court atAuckland by Justice Simon Moore, who said Taimo’s offending was of an ‘‘unprecedented scale’’.
He was sentenced to 22 years in prison, with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years.
Taimo touched the boys, sexually violated them and induced them to touch him or perform sexual acts on him.
During the trial, Taimo claimed the victims had lied about the allegations.
‘‘It was you who the jury determined was the liar,’’ Justice Moore told Taimo yesterday.
The sentencing was marked by raw emotion as seven of Taimo’s victims had statements about how the abuse affected them read to the court.
One man told how he had made repeated attempts on his own life as a result of the abuse.
‘‘For many years I have been a prisoner in my own mind, thinking I was classified as damaged goods.
‘‘Without realising it, I had become my own judge and jury. The sentence I gave myself was life. My soul has suffered at the hands of this coward.’’
A mother of one victim wept as she described how much she hated Taimo.
‘‘I have never hated someone so much, as much as I hate you. Wishing you dead is wrong, because death is a quick way out.
‘‘You had my baby, a boy, who trusted you and respected you but your evil ways won his loyalty and love.’’
Crown prosecutor Jasper Rhodes told Justice Moore that the case was ‘‘unprecedented’’.
He asked the court to consider preventive detention due to the ‘‘high risk of reoffending’’ when released, as well as a starting point of 25 years’ imprisonment.
While in prison, Taimo had been given a specific diagnoses of paedophilia.
‘‘He emotionally identifies with children,’’ Rhodes said.
Taimo’s lawyer, Panama Le’aunae, expressed sorrow for his client’s actions.
He urged the court not to hand down a sentence of preventive detention, saying whatever the sentence, his client would likely die in prison. He asked for a starting point of 20 years imprisonment.
Justice Moore said that in ‘‘subtle and cynical ways’’ Taimo controlled his victims. All of the boys he had offended against were part of his community – either from the rugby club, the school where he worked, or church.
Taimo had earned the trust of families, often by offering to care for the boys.
The trial
Alosio Taimo originally faced 83 charges, however when name suppression was lifted and media reported on the alleged offending, more complainants came forward, bringing the total charges to 106. Crown prosecutor Jasper Rhodes argued that Taimo sexually abused 18 young boys between 1987 and 2016, one as young as 9. Taimo’s defence lawyer Panama Le’aunae claimed the boys colluded together and made up the offending. Even Taimo said one of the boys was jealous of his relationship with another boy, who wasn’t a complainant in the trial. The jury took two days of deliberation to deliver unanimous verdicts, He was found guilty of 95 charges out of 106. He was found not guilty on 11 charges relating to one complainant.
In a strange twist during the trial, a woman was charged with contempt of court after discussing the case with jury members. In total, Taimo faced 27 charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, 22 of committing an indecent act on a child under 12, 33 of indecent acts on a young person under 16, 10 charges of indecency with a boy under 12 and 14 charges of indecency with a boy between 12 and 16.
He had a clear pattern of manipulation, which often involved befriending a boy, offering him food and lollies and eventually asking him to perform sexual acts, Justice Moore said. ‘‘You knew the boys would never dare complain, and even if they did, would never be believed.’’
Justice Moore noted that since the trial, Taimo had taken some limited responsibility for the offending. However, he claimed offending earlier in his life was not sexual in nature, and he was helping the children ‘‘care for their genitals’’.
Justice Moore accepted Taimo was sexually abused as a child and this had an impact on his adult behaviour. Deciding whether or not to give Taimo a sentence of preventive detention was a balancing act, and one which only just leaned in favour of a finite sentence, he said.
After the sentencing, Detective Inspector Colin Higsonsaid the case was challenging due to the number of victims and the gravity of the offending. He thanked the victims for their bravery in coming forward which enabled Taimo to be held accountable.