Businessman accused of molesting 13 boys

Brian Avent

A West Auckland businessman accused of sexually abusing 13 schoolboys told police he did what he did to "pleasure the boys, not himself".

Brian Edward Avent is facing 91 charges, more than half of which are sexual violation or indecent assault on boys.

The offending allegedly occurred from March 2000 until March this year when the 13 boys were aged between 9 and 16.

A police summary of facts, presented during a depositions hearing in the Waitakere District Court yesterday, alleged that Avent "groomed" his victims after meeting them at church or through his computer business.

Police said the 40-year-old lured his first four victims by offering them the use of computers so they could play games.

They alleged he would ply the boys with alcohol, takeaways and later cannabis while they were on sleepovers. With their trust gained he introduced them to pornography and masturbation.

Police said the behaviour escalated and he encouraged the boys to perform sex on him and each other.

The alleged offending occurred weekly, more often during school holidays, and in some cases lasted for four years.

The summary of facts described how one of the victims was often abused while he was tied up with handcuffs or rope. Some of the boys were bribed with gifts of new cars or clothes. One was paid $10 each time oral sex was performed on him.

It is alleged Avent would blackmail or threaten to kill the boys if they tried to stop seeing him or told anyone what was happening.

Police located a home-made film of Avent masturbating and performing oral sex on one of the boys. The boy in the film was told that it would be shown to his friends and posted on the internet if he told anyone what was happening.

During 2003 and early last year it is alleged Avent also paid a 16-year-old girl to perform sexual acts on the boys he had "groomed".

When Avent was arrested in March this year one of the victims initially refused to speak with police, saying he was in love with Avent and in a sexual relationship.

"Now that [the victim] has been removed from the control of the defendant he understands that the defendant had manipulated his mind and betrayed his trust," the summary said.

One charge Avent faces relates to an occasion during which two boys were given vodka. One became so ill he was rushed to hospital in an ambulance with a blood alcohol reading of 120mg of alcohol per litre of blood - four times the legal driving limit for a person under the age of 20.

In the summary, police said Avent admitted the facts outlined and that he was a paedophile.

"He claimed that what he was doing was to pleasure the boys, not himself. He also described what he did as an art."

Avent has been committed to the High Court, where he is due to appear next month.

The charges

31 sexual violation

42 indecent assault on boys 12 to 16 years

6 indecent assault on boys under 12

6 supplying Class C controlled drugs to under 18- year-olds

2 threatening to kill

1 blackmail

1 cruelty to a child

1 exhibiting objectionable publications to an under 18-year-old

1 making an objectionable publication