Released sex offender barred from internet

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A former Masterton council worker jailed on child sex and child pornography charges is be released from prison but is banned from using the internet, a camera or any other electronic device.

Andrew John Gray was sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment in September 2009 after pleading guilty to one charge each of unlawful sexual connection with a 10-year-old boy and indecent assault and 43 charges of possession of child pornography.

Gray had befriended the boy's parents, gaining their trust while he was president of a Wairarapa sports club to which they belonged. One day, while the boy was supposed to be helping Gray at the club, he bought him a takeaway and took him back to his house where the boy played computer games until Gray suggested they play a game of strip poker.

When the boy lost, Gray stripped off the boy's underwear along with his own and performed an indecent, sexual act on him.

After Gray took the boy home, he stopped and drank beer with the victim's father.

The boy told his father what had happened after Gray left.

Police seized Gray's computer, hard drive and CDs containing 4400 images of children performing sexual acts or being sexually abused - some as young as 2. Gray, now 44, was stood down from his job as a building inspector with Masterton District Council on full pay in August 2011 after police charged him. He was sacked on conviction and lost his position with the sports club.

While in jail, Gray undertook the Kia Marama Programme for sexual offenders and the Parole Board considers he "no longer presents an undue risk to the safety of the community and can be safely released on parole".

In the board's decision, released to the Times-Age, convenor Judge Russell Callander said Gray was considered at moderate to low risk of reoffending.

It appears Gray will be released to the Wairarapa area.

The board says he knows this could be a problem for him but he is prepared to deal with that.

"He is mindful that he may have some public antipathy when he returns to [withheld] but he is prepared to face that. He realises he has to mend a lot of bridges," the decision reads.

Gray will be released from prison on July 2 with 10 special conditions, including a curfew and not to have contact with children under the age of 16. He is not to possess a computer, camera, telephone or other electronic device capable of accessing the internet.

He will be subject to the special release conditions until March 6, 2015.