On one occasion Taniwha touched the girl on her breast under her clothing, and the other two occasions he kissed her and touched her leg.
Taniwha was dismissed from his job because of this offending.
Defence lawyer Glenn Dixon told Judge Louis Bidois that this was not predatory behaviour.
"It was Mr Taniwha's genuine belief that he had the victim's consent but he now accepts that it was a distorted belief and deluded thinking on his part," he said.
Mr Dixon said that there was a huge gap in the chronological age of his client and the victim but not in Taniwha's developmental age, which was affected by his abusive upbringing.
He said there had been some suggestion earlier on that a restorative justice meeting with the victim could be arranged but Taniwha was just not strong enough for such a meeting.
Counselling was being recommended by the local psychologist he had visited, he said.
Mr Dixon said Taniwha was genuinely remorseful and offered to pay emotional harm.
Judge Bidois told Taniwha that he accepted he was remorseful and his offending was the result of misguided and deluded thinking.
Judge Bidois said the aggravated features to this offending included that were three separate incidents of indecent assault, the age of the victim and the abuse of trust involved.
He said generally this type of offending would result in a prison sentence, but not on this occasion. He was prepared to take into account that there was no indication that the victim would suffer any long-term impacts and Taniwha had already taken steps to get counselling.
"The fact that I am imposing a community-based sentence does not minimise your offending,"he told Taniwha.
