Victim 'cried every day' after ex colleague sexually exploited her

The man was sentenced to home detention when he appeared in Oamaru District Court. Photo / RNZ

The actions of an Oamaru man who had sex with a former co-worker with a cognitive impairment displayed his ''predatory nature'', the Oamaru District Court has heard.

The 44-year-old man, who was granted permanent name suppression, was sentenced to 12 months home detention on a representative charge of sexual exploitation of a person with significant impairment when he appeared before Judge Joanna Maze yesterday.

A second representative charge of making an intimate visual recording was withdrawn.

Judge Maze also suppressed details about where the man worked and any other information that would identify the victim.

The court previously heard the man struck up a friendship with the woman and between April 1, 2018 and February 22 this year visited her house several times, where she lived alone, to watch movies and talk while they enjoyed soft drinks and potato chips.

They had sex on three occasions.

A police summary of facts said the man photographed the victim with his cellphone while she was naked after two of the three instances of intercourse.

After a complaint was made to police, the man was spoken to and said while he believed the sexual activity was consensual, he knew it was wrong.

A victim impact statement read in court by one of the victim's supporters described her as a confident woman who felt safe in her own home prior to the offending.

Afterwards, the victim ''cried every day'' and could not bring herself to visit her workplace to see friends which ''took its toll on an emotionally vulnerable young lady'', the statement said.

Judge Maze said there was a ''predatory nature'' to the man's offending.

She ordered final name suppression to protect the identity of the victim and the defendant's school-aged children, who she said would endure undue hardship if his name was made public.