A former Whakatane gym owner has been jailed for 11 years for historical sex offences against young girls.
Garry John Jones, 63, was sentenced in the High Court at Rotorua this morning by Justice John Fogarty.
He was found guilty in November last year of 45 charges relating to offending in the 1970s and 1980s in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. His victims were aged between five and 16.
Jones formerly owned Sunny Gymz in Whakatane before moving to Auckland.
He was found guilty by a jury of 25 counts of indecencies with a girl under 12, 10 charges of indecencies with a girl between 12 and 16 years, two counts of rape, four of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, two of assault with intent to commit sexual violation, one of male assaults female and two of assault on a child. He was found not guilty on three counts of indecencies with a girl under 12 and one of rape.
During the trial, Crown prosecutor Greg Hollister-Jones said Jones' quest for sex knew no boundaries.
"The age of the girls he chose to interfere with were all under 16. His offending was often brazen and in risky circumstances. He also had a reputation not to be messed with and the fear the complainants had of him is a consistent feature."
By Stephanie Arthur-Worsop of the Rotorua Daily Post
