WARNING: This article discusses sexual abuse and may be upsetting to some readers.
A 58-year-old man with no criminal history of sexual abuse was caught abusing a child left in his care on multiple occasions.
Anthony Smith of Whangārei was sentenced after he pleaded guilty earlier this year to three charges of unlawful sexual connection of a female under 12, indecent assault on a child under 12 and indecent assault on a child under 16.
Smith, who was also involved with church groups, would look after the young girl, whom he sexually violated on multiple occasions.
On one occasion the girl recalled waking up to find herself blindfolded, with handcuffs on and being violated with a sex toy.
When the girl disclosed what had been happening to her and Smith was questioned by police as to why he did not stop, he replied, “I’m a sucker for punishment”.
Smith stated he had violated the child between 20 and 100 times, however, he also acknowledged he would do it whenever he was alone with her.
At sentencing on Monday, the victim’s mother read a victim impact statement describing the damage her girl was now facing.
“She can be sad, angry, confused and scared. Things trigger her, like seeing a car that looks like his and she has a complete meltdown.
“Why did you do this to me? You destroyed my girl, you’re disgusting.
“I hope you never have a chance to do this to another girl again,” she said through tears.
Crown lawyer Richard Annandale told the court that what Smith told pre-sentence report writers was concerning.
“There is a suggestion in the material that the victim instigated the conduct.
“There is no genuine remorse. The same attitude that Smith had towards the pre-sentence report featured in a sense of blaming the victim for the conduct and there seemed to be a retreat from that in the cultural report,” Annandale said.
Smith told report writers he was an untreated sex offender and a “paedophile at heart” and offered his solution to address his offending.
In a letter of remorse, Smith said he would move far away from people so that “this will never happen again”.
“The solution he will find a place to live far away does not elevate the position to genuine remorse because he’s done that in the past, and this offending happened,” Annandale said.
Smith’s lawyer Adam Pell said his client should be looked at as an untreated sex offender with his own alleged history of sexual abuse and abuse in state care.
“The remorse is in his guilty plea.
“How could he possibly make it up to her in any way, nothing would ever be enough to make that right.”
Judge Philip Rzepecky agreed with the Crown’s submissions.
“What’s concerning is the victim impact statement brings to light the devastation in these victims’ lives that you have caused.
“I do not accept you are at a low risk of reoffending given what you have told about your sexual tendencies and how you describe yourself as a paedophile.
“It appears you have admitted somewhat frankly to being a sex offender, you’ve no previous history of similar offending and I see no real remorse.”
Smith was sentenced to nine years and six months’ imprisonment and will be required to go before the Parole Board for release.
Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.
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