A man who started a sexual relationship with a 12-year-old girl, when he was 32, was sentenced to two years and six months jail when he appeared in Napier District Court yesterday.
Wayne Vncent Loveridge had admitted having sex with the girl four times, Judge Jan Kelly said.
He had pleaded guilty to a representive charge of unlawful sexual connection with a young person in late-2015 and early-2016, when the man was travelling frequently between Whanganui and Hawke's Bay.
The charge carries a maximum possible sentence of 10 years' jail, the man being given some credit for his admissions, alleviating the need for the girl to give evidence in court.
Crown prosecutor Clayton Walker and defence counsel Matthew Phelps were in their submissions close to the three-and-a-half year starting point adopted by Judge Kelly before she calculated the sentence.