Serial public masturbator admits another offence despite castration

Richard Hona. Photo / supplied

A serial public masturbator has admitted yet another obscene display despite undergoing chemical castration.

Richard Renata Hona, 45, has an extensive criminal history of exposing himself in public, particularly on buses, and masturbating in front of women, which dates back to 1991.

After numerous stints in prison, he was allowed to remain in the public when he was sentenced to 18 months intensive supervision this month by Judge Roy Wade after coming before Auckland District Court on two more charges.

The judge called Hona an "incorrigible flasher" and said a prison sentence would deny him access to the libido-suppressing drug Zoladex that could be effective in managing his sex drive.

He got his first injection in February and his lawyer Brett Ravelich said it had had a significant impact in the "reduction of the urges".

However, only five days after dodging another prison term, Hona was allegedly back to his old tricks.

He appeared in Auckland District Court just days after sentencing on another charge of wilfully doing an indecent act to which he pleaded guilty today.

According to court documents, the incident occurred on an Auckland bus on April 6.

The charge comes after his lawyer said he was "no longer physically capable of being aroused".

"There's been considerable physical changes in him, and a reduction of the urges he has had to live with," Mr Ravelich said.

"He no longer fantasises or visualises like he used to."

It is understood Zoladex - which is also used to treat cancer - is not available through district health boards but the Department of Corrections made it available to some recidivist sex offenders.

The patient receives an injection every three months and a leading Australian forensic psychiatrist has previously been vocal in pushing for more frequent use of the drug.

Dr Danny Sullivan pointed to the widespread use of Zoladex on sex offenders leaving prison in the US state of Oregon, where reoffending rates were "extraordinarily low".

Hona was remanded in custody and will be sentenced in June.