A young woman stood up and told the court how the indecencies she was subjected to as a young girl had left her with PTSD — in front of the man who committed the acts.
Yesterday the man, David Barry Grant (71) listened to the woman as he sat in the Invercargill District Court dock before his sentencing.
"He always treated me so much better than others ... I now know why," the woman, now 19, said.
Grant would play horror movies to the young girl to make her so scared she did not want to sleep alone.
"He would constantly kiss, and touch, and rub me inappropriately," she said.
Grant would emotionally threaten the girl to make sure she did not tell anyone.
Grant appeared before Judge Brian Callaghan on four representative charges of committing an indecent assault on a child under 12 years between 2006 and 2012. The charges relate to two victims who were both in court yesterday.
Defence counsel Scott Williamson said Grant had sent an apology via a message to one of the victims. It was only after he had done this, he entered a guilty plea.
"There’s been a crisis of conscience," Mr Williamson said.
"What he’s done is he’s painted himself into a corner to plead guilty."
Judge Callaghan told the women the impact of the offending would be lifelong.
Because the victims wanted his name published, the fact Grant had not offended at any other time, and because of his age he was unlikely to reoffend, Judge Callaghan did not require an order for Grant to be put on the Child Sex Offender Register.
He sentenced Grant to 11 months’ home detention and ordered him to pay reparation to his victims — $10,000 to one and $2500 to the other.
