Cinema groper revealed

PHOTOS of the "family man’’ who spent hours trawling darkened Auckland cinemas, where he inappropriately touched women, can now be revealed.

Attul Kumar Patel was sentenced on November 13 to five months’ home detention for a charge of indecent assault – his third conviction for indecent assault. However, High Court Justice Christian Whata made a court order banning media from using photographs of Patel until now.

The November sentencing followed an incident at the Westgate cinema in northwest Auckland on July 22. Patel had walked past several empty seats and sat next to the victim, who was watching a film with her sister.

He slid his right hand under the victim’s buttocks.

In a pre-sentencing report, psychologist Dr Ian Goodwin said Patel’s behaviour was driven by OCD and his risk of offending was low if medicated.

Justice Whata also issued Patel his second strike under the three strikes law. ‘‘I want to stress to you in simple terms, Mr Patel, if you do this again you will be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of seven years.’’

In 2014, Patel, an accountant from Flat Bush, entered the theatre area of Event Cinemas in Henderson without paying.

He picked a spot next to a 13-year-old girl and began rubbing her thigh. The girl moved her leg away but the offender persisted.

Over the next four hours he moved between several screenings. Police released photos of the man after the girl reported the incident and Patel handed himself in when a friend alerted his attention to media reports.