A Central Otago businessman who sexually abused his stepdaughter and three of her friends has died while serving his sentence.
The 66-year-old — who was granted permanent name suppression to protect the victims — was jailed for 12 years and four months in 2017 after a jury found him guilty of nine sex charges from between 1999 and 2008.
He was due to have his first parole hearing this month but when the Otago Daily Times inquired about the outcome, the board confirmed the man died in August last year.
The prisoner, who it is understood was serving his time in the North Island, was granted compassionate bail just days before his death.
A letter from a doctor provided to the Parole Board outlined his precarious state.
"He is approaching the end of his life and it is expected he will die within a number of weeks to short months at the longest," it said.
Despite his health, the board imposed strict conditions for the final days of his life including a ban from contact with under-16s, any of his victims and a bar from using alcohol or illicit drugs.
It was also noted he might have been monitored for compliance.
Parole Board panel convener Mary More highlighted the accommodation providers who would be overseeing the man had been informed of his crimes and were alert to the fact he should not be around children.
Allegations arose in 2015 when a woman came forward to say the defendant had abused her when she was a child.
Three others then came forward with similarly distressing stories.
The man’s stepdaughter told the jury about watching one of her friends being raped while the defendant filmed it.
Others spoke of instances when he would lay them on a towel and cover them in baby oil or powder.
One described a scenario where all four girls were on the defendant’s bed and were each forced to rotate and take a turn lying next to him.
The defendant threatened to put her in a dog kennel if she did not behave.
The man claimed he was "set up" by the quartet, which was roundly rejected by the jury.
The Parole Board noted he also had previous sex convictions against a young girl from 2009 as well as a history of breaching a molestation order and violence.
