Registered child sex offender admits putting camera up skirt of Rotorua shopper

Rotorua courthouse. Photo / File

A registered child sex offender has admitted putting a mobile phone up the skirt of a shopper in a Rotorua store in a bid to take a photograph.

John Andrew Parahi, 56, electrician, from Rotorua, appeared in the Rotorua District Court yesterday via audio-visual link before Judge Maree MacKenzie where he pleaded guilty to four charges.

They included doing an indecent act, attempting to make a visual recording of another person, being a registered offender and failing to comply with reporting obligations by not reporting a new cell phone number and breaching extended supervision orders.

A summary of facts released to the Rotorua Daily Post showed Parahi was released from prison in November last year and has been a registered child sex offender since October 2016.

On Sunday March 3, a woman aged over 16 who wasn't known to Parahi was in a Rotorua department store when Parahi started following her around. He did this for about 10 minutes.

As she walked down one of the aisles she saw Parahi behind her and noticed he pulled out a mobile phone from his pocket, the summary said.

She then stopped at a display of paintbrushes and other items and was unaware Parahi had kneeled down behind her, grabbed the back of her dress and pulled it slowly towards him.

He then put the mobile phone under the dress and directed his phone up with the intention of taking a photograph, the summary said.

The woman realised what happened and pulled away, and as she did Parahi released her dress from his grip.

On March 7, police searched Parahi's house with the intention of seizing the phone. He said he had an Alcatel phone but inquiries revealed he also had activated a Motorola phone in December 2018.

The summary said Parahi admitted failing to register his phone number with authorities, one of several requirements of being a registered child sex offender.

Parahi became subject to extended supervision orders by the High Court in April 2009 for a period of 10 years.

Those orders were to continue following his release from a short term of imprisonment in November last year.

Part of those orders include not going to licensed premises. The summary said he breached those orders on January 13 by going into the Glassy Junction on Brooklyn Rd in Western Heights, Rotorua.

His lawyer, Scott Mills, told Judge MacKenzie in court yesterday his client acknowledged the breach but did not consume or purchase alcohol while on the premises.

Judge MacKenzie remanded him in custody for sentencing on July 5.