Sex abusing dance teacher denied parole again

A sex offender who groomed and preyed on a young woman in his dance class for years has been denied parole for a second time.

Whanganui dance teacher Stayz Raukawa was sentenced to three years, six months in prison in October 2015 for four charges of unlawful sexual connection and eight counts of indecency with a teenager.

That teenager was Bex Sloan, who spoke up about the sexual abuse earlier this week as part of the Herald's Rape Awareness Week coverage.

Raukawa was her dance teacher and Sloan was 15 when the abuse occurred.

His sentence end date is in December 2018 but he appeared before the Parole Board on April 20 to be considered for an early release from prison.

"Mr Raukawa came before the board in November last year," said board panel convener Judge Louis Bidois.

"The board had met with the victim who opposed parole.

"At that time he was untreated.

"Parole was declined but he was rescheduled for this sitting of the board with a psychological report being called for."

At the April hearing that report was presented to the board.

Judge Bidois said it assessed Raukawa as "a low-risk offender" but recommended he engage in specific programmes in prison to address his sexual offending.

Dance teacher Stayz Raukawa, convicted of 12 sex charges, has been denied parole. Photograph/Supplied

He said Raukawa "is motivated to do the programme" and had completed another recently which he "found very helpful".

"It has motivated him to address issues and increased his insight," Judge Bidois said in the decision released to the Herald today.

"His Principal corrections officer [PCO] described a well-mannered, polite inmate who ... has excellent support ... and the PCO described Mr Raukawa as growing as a person and who has been very humbled by his offending."

Despite Raukawa's reported improvements, the board refused him parole.

"Mr Raukawa does not have a suitable address to go to," Judge Bidois ruled.

"His address was assessed as being unsuitable because of the composition of occupants."

An alternative address was suggested but had not been assessed.

"The family are at the present time looking for other suitable accommodation," Judge Bidois said.

Raukawa has 20 months to go of his sentence and Judge Bidois said he was on a waiting list to attend further programmes to address his sexual offending.

"Mr Raukawa has reflected on his behaviour and accepts that what he did was wrong," he said.

"At the present time Mr Raukawa does not have a suitable address so poses an undue risk to the community."

Raukawa will see the board again in June and Judge Bidois said the issue of the programme and accommodation would be revisited then.

He also said it would be discussed whether a sex offending treatment in the community could be arranged if Raukawa was unable to complete it in the time he had left in prison.