Ex-nurse thought she was in love with boy

The former nurse thought she was in love with one of the 15-year-old boys she slept with. File photo / NZ Herald

A former nurse who had sex with three 15-year-old boys believed she was in love with one of them, her lawyer says.

Aroha Veronica Webber, 41, a registered nurse, was sentenced to 12 months' home detention when she appeared in Rotorua District Court yesterday.

She previously pleading guilty to six charges of having sexual connection with three 15-year-old boys.

Judge James Weir said Webber had sex with one of the boys twice, three times with another and once with a third boy. The court was told the offending occurred between January and October 2010.

Some details of the case cannot be reported as it would lead to the identification of the complainants, whose identities are automatically suppressed.

Defence counsel Paul Mabey QC said Webber's life had spiralled down after the break-up of her marriage and she had been abusing alcohol.

"Her fault was to [form] relationships with three boys of 15. She accepted that became emotional and physical. She even thought she was in love with one of the boys,'' he told the court.

Judge Weir said there was no targeting or grooming by Webber. Someone had seen the teenagers paying attention to her in a way that was concerning and they had appeared willing.

Webber had shown significant remorse and had a good record, said Judge Weir, also referring to character references written on her behalf. Webber had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and the Crown accepted the offending was out of character, the judge said.

Mr Mabey said police received a complaint from one of the complainants and when Webber was interviewed she volunteered information about the other two complainants.