The Crown has been given 21 days to consider whether to seek indefinite jail time for a man who pleaded guilty to six sex offences against children.
If the Crown decides the preventive detention sentence is warranted, Christchurch District Court will need to send the case to theHigh Court for sentencing and get two reports from health assessors about the risk of continued offending.
Judge Michael Crosbie asked whether the open-ended sentence would be considered for the 42-year-old man after hearing the police read the summary of facts following his guilty pleas today and noting that he had a previous conviction for indecent assault.
He granted interim suppression of the man's name and banned publication of the towns where the offending occurred, but warned that final suppression might not be granted at the sentencing.
The man, a serving prisoner, was remanded in custody for sentencing on February 22. Judge Crosbie ordered a pre-sentence report and victim impact reports from the two girls, who were aged from about 6 to 9 years at the time of the offending.
He said the Crown should seek reports from a psychologist on effects on the two girls.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Mark Berryman said the offending had occurred from about 1986 to 1996 and involved touching, oral sex, and masturbation.
He also told of a failed suicide attempt by the man and his recall to prison where he had been serving time for an unrelated offence.
When interviewed, he acknowledged he was attracted to pre-pubescent girls.
He pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault and four charges of having unlawful sexual connection with a girl aged under 12.
