Denise Piper/Stuff
Outside the Kaikohe District Court, community members like Carlene Hereora protest child sex trafficking and sexual violence highlighted by this case. The victim’s family initially thought the man was helping the teenager with some personal issues, then believed he was sleeping on the floor of her bedroom, not in her bed. But in February 2020, the victim’s family and friends confronted him about the relationship, and later called police. When questioned by police, the man refused to comment and did not want to even hear the allegations made against him. The full list of charges include two counts of indecent assault, 11 counts of sexual connection with a young person (four of which are representative), two counts of rape (one of which is representative), unlawful sexual connection, and 12 counts of dealing a young person for sexual exploitation.