Grant Smallridge appeared at Christchurch District Court where he admitted filming himself sexually violating children in public changing rooms. Photo / George Heard
Grant Smallridge appeared at Christchurch District Court where he admitted filming himself sexually violating children in public changing rooms. Photo / George Heard
WARNING: This article details sexual assault and may be distressing.
A man who filmed young children showering in the changing rooms of a public pool and filmed himself sexually violating the children, one as young as 4, told one of his victims he was a “good boy”.
Grant Smallridge, 35, admitted in the Christchurch District Court to 22 charges relating to sexually violating children and filming it.
According to the summary of facts, on March 7, 2021, Smallridge took a video of a naked 4-year-old girl in a public swimming pool changing room while inappropriately touching her.
On May 21 that same year, Smallridge was at a public swimming pool with a 12-year-old boy. They showered together and Smallridge made the boy touch him inappropriately.
Smallridge then took the boy out to his parked car and had a sexual connection with him while filming it on his cellphone.
A week later Smallridge sexually violated a child while filming what he was doing.
On another occasion at a public swimming pool, Smallridge filmed both a little girl and young boy showering in the changing rooms.
Smallridge was charged with unlawful sexual connection when on October 7, 2021, he filmed himself raping a child.
On December 21, 2021, a child sent Smallridge an indecent photo of himself and Smallridge agreed to send indecent material back.
At a New Year’s Eve party, Smallridge took three videos of a 4-year-old child touching him indecently while they watched something on his iPad.
Grant Smallridge appeared at Christchurch District Court. Photo / George Heard
On January 17, 2022, Smallridge and a child sent indecent material to each other, including videos.
Smallridge gave the young boy tips on what he would like him to do, often calling him “good boy”.
Smallridge also met with the boy to have another sexual connection with him in a garage.
On May 1 last year Smallridge sent an objectionable publication to a female associate, involving a child aged about 5 performing an indecent act on an adult.
Police searched Smallridge’s home on May 25, 2022, and found child exploitation material on his phone, including a video of a girl aged about 10.
Smallridge entered guilty pleas to the charges. Having already pleaded guilty to some earlier charges through his lawyer Trudi Aickin.
There were 22 charges in total, including making an objectionable publication, sexual connection with a young person, sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, possessing and distributing objectionable publication, doing an indecent act on a young person, and exposing a young person to indecent material.
