Naufahu sentenced to home detention
Former Shortland Street actor Rene Naufahu has been sentenced to a year of home detention for indecently assaulting six acting students.
Naufahu appeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday before Judge Rob Ronayne after pleading guilty to six charges of indecent assault in September. He initially denied the accusations.
The offending took place between 2011 and 2013 during acting classes Naufahu was running for models.
During group sessions, Naufahu would invite some young female students to join him for one-on-one tutorials.
He told each of the women not to tell anyone about their lessons, and assured them they didn’t have to pay him for the extra tutorials. Exercises would often involve Naufahu touching the women, and encouraging them to touch him.
According to the summary of facts, Naufahu would at times attempt to kiss the women, often without warning. He would also attempt to touch their breasts, bottom and between their legs.
When the women pushed back, Naufahu would reassure the women he was only trying to make them a better actor.
He told one woman she was making ‘‘amazing progress’’ after forcing his tongue into her mouth.
‘‘You defended your actions by telling the woman she had to get into the meaning of the scene,’’ Judge Ronayne said.
While Naufahu had pleaded guilty, Judge Ronayne said he was still trying to ‘‘shift’’ some of the blame onto his victims.
‘‘You are the the guilty one, not them. It was you who breached their trust ... You publicly shamed the victims by denying the offending.’’
The Crown said Naufahu, 47, intentionally groomed the young women by telling them they were talented, and needed extra encouragement.
The women were between 18 and 24.
The actor had shown limited remorse following the offending, Kirsten Lummis, for the Crown said. ‘‘His remorse seems to be all aged concerned about the impacts on his own life, rather than true remorse.’’
Naufahu’s lawyer Ron Mansfield said his client had helped many actors throughout his career in group, and one-on-one classes.
Mansfield said the idea Naufahu ‘‘preyed’’ on or ‘‘groomed’’ the women was wrong.
Naufahu was no longer involved in the acting scene, but was working in construction.
Naufahu played Sam Aleni in Shortland Street during the 1990s. He reappeared in the role in 2014 for a short period.