Sex assault admitted, says girl's mother

A Masterton man, 24, faces two charges of indecent assault alleged to have occurred between January 1 and May 6, 2012, in Masterton.

A Masterton man who appealed a conviction of indecently assaulting a teenage girl appeared in the Masterton District Court for a second hearing last week.

The man, 24, faces two charges of indecent assault said to have occurred between January 1 and May 6, 2012, in Masterton.

After being found guilty by Judge Michael Behrens at a hearing in the Masterton District Court last July, he appealed the conviction. The appeal was heard by Justice Robert Dobson in the Wellington High Court in October.

Justice Dobson ordered a re-trial and imposed suppression of the man's name and the nature of his relationship with the alleged victim. He has been accused of trying to drag the girl into a room and asking if she wanted sex and on a separate occasion groping her.

On Friday, video evidence played in court of the man's first interview showed he denied the allegations. The man said he was not sexually attracted to the girl. "It's bull****," he said repeatedly.

In court on Wednesday, defence lawyer Jock Blathwayt said the allegations were false and were raised to deflect attention away from problems involving the girl and her mother.

Judge Barbara Morris closed the court while the girl gave evidence. The mother also gave evidence, saying the man had admitted the assaults to her and her daughter.

"He was scared of what he was going to get if they found out ... he was scared of going to jail.

"He said he was sorry for the bad things he'd done," she said.

Wairarapa Restorative Justice co-ordinator Lynette Whata said that at a restorative justice meeting attended by the girl, the man admitted he was guilty.

"I read the [police] summary of facts, I asked the offender were they a true and correct copy and he acknowledged that they were and he immediately said, 'yes, he was guilty'. He had his head down ..."

The hearing will continue when a date is set next month.