Elderly man sentenced over child abuse

File photo / NZ Herald

An elderly man has been sentenced to home detention on more than 40 counts of historical child sex abuse.

Geoffrey, or Geoff, Trethewey, 89, a retired podiatrist from Wellington and Wairarapa, appeared in Wellington District Court today on 42 counts of indecent assault and sexual violation against children under 12-years-old.

Name suppression granted to Trethewey expired today, and he can now be named.

He was sentenced to 12 months home detention, as many of the charges were representative over a period of time, police said.

"Wellington police laid charges after receiving a complaint from a female in 2011. An investigation located a further nine women and one man who also made complaints," said Detective Dave Bealing.

"The charges related to ongoing abuse of the victims when they were aged from about seven through to their early teens, during the period from the mid-'70s through to the early '90s."

During this time Trethewey was known in the Newtown and Mt Cook areas.

However, Mr Bealing said he believed there may be more victims that have yet to come forward, and urged them to contact him.