Hawke's Bay youth worker sentenced for sexual offences involving girl, 13

A Taradale man has been sentenced to eight months' home detention for sexual offences involving an under-age girl. Photo / File

A Taradale man has been sentenced to eight months' home detention for sexual offences involving an under-age girl he was supposed to be helping at a youth centre.

In Napier District Court on Thursday it was revealed the offences, which happened when the man was in his early 20s and the girl aged about 13, only came to light after she attempted to extort money from him about a decade later.

She told the court in an emotional victim impact statement she met the man when he was working at the youth centre, at which she had enrolled because of difficulties she had been having.

It was supposed to support her, but instead it was the opposite, and she was "targeted by a predator" who manipulated her into the situation, she said.

Because she had to keep it "secret" she was unable to get help, but over the years she had struggled even further, struggling with loss of self-esteem and depression and having difficulty obtaining and retaining employment and establishing stable relationships.

The man was appearing for sentence before Judge Bridget Mackintosh after a protracted court process. The man pleaded guilty late last year to a representative charge of unlawful sexual connection with a young person.

Crown prosecutor Michael Blaschke said the Crown was "strenuously" opposed to suppression of the man's name and identity, and the victim also wanted the suppression order lifted and for her own identity to be able to be revealed.

He said the man offended in a position of trust, but the judge said the man was out of his depth in his role at the time.

Judge Mackintosh said he had no other convictions, was clearly remorseful, had not tried to hide from the allegations, there was a third party who had not been charged with any offence who might be identified if the man's identity was published, and the man had family support; his wife and mother-in-law were present in court.

The judge said she had read the text messages relating to the allegations of "extortion", but no charges had been laid in relation to that.

Defence counsel Matthew Phelps said the man appreciated the impact on the woman, he had been prepared to offer emotional harm reparation - which the judge said was not being considered in the case – and he was prepared to take part in restorative justice processes.