Wairarapa man Kenneth O'Reilly is appealing his 2013 conviction and sentence of five years for sodomy against a member of his family in the 1960s.
O'Reilly (pictured) is a former Carterton Railway Museum president.
His lawyer, Paul Paino, argued a defendant could be prejudiced by fading memories and lost documentation in facing allegations from so long ago.
The Court of Appeal in Wellington has reserved its decision.
