A man has pleaded guilty to 20 child sex abuse charges in court today -- and admitted to a number of others to "cleanse his soul".
The man, who has interim name suppression, made the "full and frank" disclosure of his own accord, his lawyer Mark Ryan told the High Court at Auckland this morning.
Dressed smartly in the dock, the man entered guilty pleas to 20 charges related to child sex abuse, including assault with intent to commit sexual violation, indecent assault and doing an indecent act.
The charges related to a number of incidents involving at least four children, both boys and girls, under the age of 12.
The incidents took place across Auckland and the Coromandel between 2004 and 2011, with some of them involving him "stupefying" the child.
Justice Graham Lang convicted the man on all charges.
Following this, Mr Ryan disclosed to the court that his client had also admitted to some further incidents, which had pre-dated the ones he had just been convicted of.
He had confessed to the acts while undergoing psychiatric treatment following a previous conviction, Mr Ryan said.
"[My client] basically made these full and frank confessions [to the Probation Service and police]. But for his submissions no one knew, none of the complainants came forward [to police]," he said.
"He's done that to completely clear his mind."
The man, who was supported in court by two family members, had fully engaged with his psychiatric treatment, Mr Ryan said, and there was "no risk of him committing any further offences".
He had confessed to the unknown incidents to "cleanse his soul, so to speak".
Justice Lang said that in light of the new information he had no choice but to remand the man in custody until sentencing in November.
By Patrice Dougan of APNZ
