Sex victim felt like 'home wrecker'

File photo / NZ Herald

A teenage girl felt so guilty about having sex with a neighbour more than 20 years her age that she labelled herself "a home wrecker" when she was about 15, a court was told.

The now 23-year-old woman read her victim impact statement during the sentencing of former Central Otago man Kevin John Orchard, a 44-year-old truck driver, on seven charges of sexual offending against her and her younger sister between 2002 and 2008.

Orchard, now of Christchurch, was jailed in Dunedin District Court yesterday for three years and nine months on each of four representative charges of having sexual connection with a girl under 16, with concurrent terms of two years and six months' jail on three charges (two of them representative) of indecently assaulting and committing indecent acts on the two girls.

Judge Michael Crosbie directed he be referred to a Department of Corrections psychologist for assessment for a treatment programme.

And he commended the victim for reading her statement. In a real sense, it showed the immediate and real effect the offending had on both young women and the profound and long-lasting impact on her.

The woman spoke of often having suicidal thoughts, of becoming very depressed during her teenage years and, as an adult, of developing ways of hiding her emotions. She told of her self-hatred and low self esteem and the internalised anger which resulted in her becoming so frustrated she wanted to beat her children. When she was hospitalised, she had disclosed the offending.

But she still blamed herself and felt guilty and ashamed because of the impact of the case on the defendant's family, she said.

The summary from Crown counsel Craig Power said Orchard repeatedly indecently touched the younger girl on various occasions between May 20, 2005 and May 20, 2007, by putting his hand down her top and grabbing her. And between November 2004 and May 2005, he initiated physical contact with the older girl by play fighting and tickling her.

The pair also began sending each other text messages, many of them sexually explicit.

As a result, Orchard arranged to take the girl into the countryside where he had sex with her six times between May and November 2005. He also had sex with her about 10 times at his home and encouraged her several times to perform oral sex on him.

Police spoke to him in Christchurch early this year and he denied touching the younger girl's breasts, but admitted touching the older sister. He said he had a bad memory and could not recall if he and the older girl ever had sex but did not deny it might have happened.

The pre-sentence report referred to Orchard's apparent lack of insight, and his tendency to pass the blame to the victims "to some extent", Mr Power said.

But defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger said she did not believe Orchard had tried to shift the blame. By pleading guilty, he had accepted responsibility. Ms Bulger suggested some naivety on the his part could present as a lack of insight.

Judge Crosbie told Orchard the victims should not feel any sense of blame for the hurt and grief of others. Young girls who consented to sexual activity with older men frequently became disturbed when they were adults themselves and understood more.

"You, and others like you, need to understand the reason these charges exist is for the protection of young people not of an age where they can be fully and properly informed, and to send a clear message to those who take advantage of them," Judge Crosbie said.

The fact Orchard said the older girl had a crush on him and that she became "a willing participant" showed he still did not "get it".