Survivor can move on

A survivor of sentenced Masterton paedophile Ken O'Reilly thinks he can now close a chapter in his life but believes there are other victims to be heard.

Last Friday in the Wellington High Court, O'Reilly was jailed for 7 years for sodomy against a member of his family in the 1960s and indecent assault against a young man from 2006.

His sentence follows a previous two-year jail term imposed in 2011 for indecently assaulting a girl aged under 12 in the 1980s. He was released in May last year.

Former victim Chris Gardiner, who now lives in Australia, told the Times-Age there is "potential" for more court cases and believes there are more victims.

Mr Gardiner said O'Reilly had abused him for 11 years from the age of seven. He claimed he secured a conviction in 1997 against O'Reilly, but not jail. He assisted police with subsequent trials against O'Reilly, including appearing as a witness.

"I was hoping to have been there [for the High Court trial]," he said.

He said the sentence was not enough but he understood the judge's process.

"I would love to see him locked up forever. [The judge] has done it to the letter of the law as much as he could; he gave him as much as he could."

He said O'Reilly had maintained a stout denial of his crimes throughout.

"As far has he's concerned, he seem to think he's got the power over everybody, to brainwash them to think the way he thinks."

Mr Gardiner said when he went to trial, it was for him, but more victims surfaced. He went on to help police help others, he said.

"Now I can close this, now that we know he's away for seven years. At least the system has changed enough so that these people do end up going away for a long time."

Mr Gardiner says he does not want to be involved any more.