Judge weeps over sex abuser's crimes

Brian Avent

A judge wept as she described the impact of Brian Avent's sexual abuse on his 14 victims yesterday.

During sentencing Justice Patricia Courtney was describing the impact on a boy and his family when she had to stop and blow her nose.

She then dabbed her eye and addressed the families of the victims in the back of the courtroom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you don't mind if the judge shows a little bit of emotion."

The words that had triggered her emotions were "he doesn't laugh as much ..."

They came from a victim impact statement from the mother of one of the 14 boys Avent pleaded guilty to abusing between 2000 and last year.

In the High Court at Auckland yesterday he was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment, with a minimum parole period of six years, for what Justice Courtney described as "revolting and reprehensible" conduct.

The court heard how Avent met his victims through church and his work - a computer business he ran in west Auckland.

They were aged between 9 and 16 and carefully selected. Many were offered jobs at his business, fixing computers.

The 40-year-old groomed the boys, plying them with food, alcohol, cannabis and computer games. After gaining their trust and that of their parents - some of whom he had known through church and holidayed with - he would invite them for sleepovers.

It was at those sleepovers that Avent masturbated in front of the boys, made them masturbate and progressed to oral and anal sex.

He tied some of the boys up, filmed others and then threatened to kill himself or show the film to the boys' friends if they told anyone.

At work he would slip his hands up their shorts. He disciplined another who was late for work by smacking his penis with a ruler.

The court heard that Avent had an emotional hold of the boys and bribed several with cars, cellphone and money.

During the sentencing the father of some of the victims was allowed to address the court.

He spoke directly to Avent, saying he had spent 19 years trying to teach his children what was right and wrong.

That, and many other things, had been destroyed by Avent's offending.

"I find it hard now to trust other parents to look after my children."

The man, who cannot be identified, said his children sleep in the same bed with locked doors. They were scared and that wasn't going to go away for a long time.

Avent's lawyer told the court the victims had nothing to fear from Avent and there would be no repercussions for them telling the police what had happened. Then Avent started to cry, wiping his nose with the back of his hands.

Outside the court the parents of the victims said they were disappointed the sentence was not longer.

Members of Avent's family did not want to comment but were clearly horrified and embarrassed by what he had done.

The computer company he owned has been put into liquidation with creditors owed more than $50,000.

Avent met some of his victims through his computer business, which traded as Net PC in Kelston, west Auckland.

The company closed its doors after his arrest last year.

Liquidator Grant Reynolds said it was difficult to quantify the amount owed because Avent traded under three or four different companies.

It was unlikely creditors would receive any money.

Mr Reynolds said he had interviewed Avent in prison but he "had other things on his mind than the company".

Herald inquiries last year found that more than 20 Bartercard trade exchange members had placed orders for computers and paid combinations of cash and Bartercard dollars but received nothing in return.

A businessman who has known Avent for 12 years said a number of individual customers were left out of pocket, including people who paid a 50 per cent deposit for a computer and others who had returned machines for repair.

The business associate said Avent tried to project an air of success while his business struggled.

Avent drove a 1980s gold-coloured Mercedes but lived upstairs from his business.

"He was very proud of that [Mercedes] and parked it in pride of place outside the shop. It was not unusual for him to wear a full suit. He always looked sharp."

The associate said Avent presented a successful air but was "socially inept".

"As a communicator he was appalling [but] he was able to talk about computers all day and felt comfortable in that environment.

"He couldn't relate to adults, he seemed to have only related to young boys.

"Perhaps he has this need for some kind of self-importance. He certainly wasn't getting that from the [computer] industry."


The charges 

14 x indecent assault
9 x inducing an indecent act
4 x supplying a class C drug
1 x cruelty to a child
17 x sexual violation
1 x making an objectionable film
1 x showing the boys objectionable material