Ex-teacher jailed on historic sex counts

A former Awamoa School teacher has been jailed for four years and nine months on historic sex offence charges against seven victims.

Paul Roger Herrick (70), now of Palmerston North, appeared in the Palmerston North District Court yesterday on 15 charges, including sodomy with a male under 16, indecent assault on a boy under 12, indecent acts with/upon a boy under 12, indecent assault on a girl under 12, indecent act with girl under 12 and inducing a girl under 12 to do an indecent act upon him.

Herrick committed his offending against the victims when they were pupils at the North Otago school in the early 1980s.

Contacted yesterday, Detective Senior Sergeant Malcolm Inglis, of Dunedin, said police were pleased for the victims.

"It provided a minor part of closure for the victims.

"It's always good to see someone held accountable for their actions.''

The case had taken more than a year to bring to court, he said.

"The victims have done a great job coming forward and being very brave confronting what happened to them as children.''

Det Snr Sgt Inglis encouraged any victims of sex abuse to come forward and report it to the police.

According to Otago Daily Times records, Herrick was sentenced to nine months' home detention in 2015, after appearing in the Oamaru District Court on charges of indecently assaulting a male pupil in 1982.

The court then heard Herrick was jailed in 1994 for five years for offending related to incidents between 1968 and 1987.

 


 

Where to get help

Rape Crisis Dunedin: (03) 474-1592


 

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