Woman jailed for sexually exploiting boy under 16

Amanda Campbell has been jailed for five years for having sex with an under-aged boy and smoking cannabis with him. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

Amanda Campbell supported and comforted the family of an underage "sullen" boy while she sexually exploited and enabled him to frequently smoke cannabis.

In return, the boy's mother- unbeknown of what was happening- thanked her for assuring everything was okay with her son until the truth came out.

Even after Campbell was found guilty after a judge-alone trial last month in the Whangarei District Court of having sex 10 times with the boy, who was between 12 and 16, she continues to emphatically deny the sexual conduct.

The 39-year-old Whangarei mother also supplied a bong and a cellphone to him in June last year.

Campbell was on Friday sentenced to five years in jail on all charges and her name will be included in the Child Sex Offender Register.

The register came into effect in October 2016 and is a tool to help police and Corrections staff monitor people who have offended in the past, with the aim of preventing re-
offending and keeping children safe.

Campbell was found guilty to one charge of sexual connection with a young person between the ages of 12 and 16, one charge of permitting a house and another of permitting a vehicle to be used to smoke cannabis.

In court during her sentencing on Friday, the boy's mother read her victim impact statement and described him as a "terrible mess".

"Amanda pretended to support and comfort me and my family in our worries and concerns about our son's change in behaviour."

The mother said when her family realised her interest in their boy was not right, they warned her to stay away from him.

"I even threatened her with the police and still Amanda ignored our warnings and without our knowledge, she continued to pursue our son and being the predator that she is, she took our boy's innocence.

"We had to move our boy away from Whangarei to keep him safe from Amanda Campbell and to try and help him heal from this nightmare. This has been completely soul destroying for me and my family.''

Her family would never forget sitting in court and watching Campbell's police interview on video describing the terrible ways she manipulated and groomed their son, she said.

"Anybody who was present during that four day trial, hearing the evidence presented and hearing Amanda Campbell's own police interview on screen would know beyond any doubt that Amanda Campbell is guilty and her denying these charges is nothing less than absolute dishonesty".

Judge Harvey said despite Campbell's denial she had any sexual contact with the boy, he had absolutely no doubt the victim told the truth in his evidence.

He said Campbell's offending was planned, premeditated, the boy was vulnerable, and there was an age disparity of 23 years.