KEY POINTS:
A man who repeatedly raped and indecently assaulted his 12-year-old babysitter 25 years ago was today jailed for 6-1/2 years when he appeared for sentence in the High Court at Napier.
Michael James Blake, 52, was told by Justice Lynton Stevens that his offending had involved the exploitation of a young girl for his sexual gratification and betrayed the trust placed him by the complainant's family and the girl herself.
Blake had sex with the girl on more than 10 separate occasions between July 1981 and April 1983 and two different locations at Mahia in Hawke's Bay. He was convicted on April 26 this year in Gisborne on one representative charge each of rape and indecent assault.
He was sentenced to three years' jail on the indecent assault charge which is to be served concurrently with the rape sentence.
Justice Stevens said the offences were committed when Blake was living at Mahia. He and his wife became friendly with another couple whose daughter babysat for them on a number of occasions.
Blake waited until his wife was asleep before taking the girl to a porch on a neighbouring bach and performing oral sex on her then having sex. On another occasion she was practising netball shooting near a local garage when he beckoned to her and took her into some trees where he had sex with her on a makeshift bed.
Justice Stevens said there was a degree of premeditation indicated by statements from the complainant that he had "little beds" set up before coming for her for sex.
Blake continued to deny his offending.
Although he had 25 previous convictions, the majority were driving-related or involved low-level violence and theft. However he was convicted of indecently assaulting a girl under 12 years in 1997.
Justice Stevens said while the latter conviction was not linked to those he now faced, his offending in the l980s could not be seen as isolated incidents.
Justice Stevens said Blake had taken advantage of a young girl in "the worst possible way".
- NZPA
