Rapist jailed for over six years

Aukusitino Fa'atafa. Photo / Herald on Sunday

A 35-year-old man has been jailed for six years and nine months for raping a 13-year-old girl in west Auckland and forcing her to smoke cannabis.

Aukusitino Fa'atafa was sentenced today in the High Court at Auckland on four charges.

He was jailed for six years and nine months for sexual violation by rape, three years for sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, three years for detaining the girl with intent to have sexual connection, and one year for forcing the victim to smoke cannabis to render her incapable of resistance. These sentences will run concurrently.

Sentencing Fa'atafa, Justice Peter Woodhouse told him his behaviour could be described as "predatory".

"Your victim was vulnerable and there was a marked difference between her age and your age. You took advantage of her and intimidated her to keep her under your control.

"You refused to leave her alone in spite of her reluctance, and you must have known she was a young girl. Your behaviour was unacceptable," Justice Woodhouse said.

The girl was attacked in April last year in the Pt Chevalier-Waterview area in west Auckland, after she was followed by Fa'atafa for about a kilometre to a BP station on Great North Road in Waterview.

After shopping at the service station and walking back along Great North Road, she was dragged into the Oakley Creek walkway, and subjected to a prolonged sexual attack.

Fa'atafa pleaded not guilty to all charges during his trial last month.

A fifth charge of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection was dropped by the Crown earlier in the trial.

- NZPA