Teacher facing 23 more sexual abuse charges

James Parker. Photo / TVNZ

Police have today laid further charges against a Northland school teacher awaiting sentence for child sex abuse.

James Parker, the 37-year old former deputy principal of Pamapuria School, 10km south of Kaitaia, is awaiting sentence on 49 sexual abuse charges.

Police today revealed a further 23 charges against him over another eight victims, mainly during the period 2006-2012.

The new charges include eight charges of an indecent act on a boy aged under 12 years; four charges of an indecent act on a boy aged between 12 and 16 years; one of an indecent assault on a boy aged under 12 years; four charges of indecent assault on a boy aged between 12 and 16 years; one charge of indecent assault on a boy aged between 12 and 16; one charge of indecent assault on a boy aged under 16, and four charges of sexual violation.

Two charges relate to offences dating back to 1999.

Parker will appear on the new charges at Kaitaia District Court on Thursday.

An independent report released last week concluded that Parker was able to continue abusing young boys partly because of his close relationship with his principal and his role as deputy principal and kapa haka leader.

There was no evidence offences had occurred at school.

Warnings had been flagged as early as 1998 when Parker started teaching at Oturu School in Kaitaia.

But his habits of showering with boys staying at his home or sharing a bed with them 'marae-style' sometimes went unchallenged because Parker had an adult girlfriend, the report said.