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Source: ONE News
Not even a spell in prison could stop a Tauranga man raping his step-daughter, a Hamilton court heard.
At the High Court in Hamilton, the 39-year-old was yesterday jailed for 15 years on two counts of rape, two of unlawful sexual connection and two of indecent assault; all against his step-daughter who was seven years old when the offending started and 10 when it stopped.
The charges were representative and reflected the prolonged period of sexual abuse, which at its height saw him abusing the girl six times a week.
Offending began when the man - who has not been named to protect the identity of the victim - started living with his partner and her family in November 2003.
Justice Christopher Allan described how it started with the man lying on top of the girl while fully clothed, but escalated rapidly.
He said the breach of trust was a significantly aggravating factor, as was the location - the girl's bedroom.
"It was the one place she should've felt safe and secure."
Most concerning, was after the sexual abuse started, the man was jailed for eight months for similar crimes against his teenaged sister-in-law, which had happened some time earlier.
However, the jail stint did nothing to change his behaviour and when he returned to the house the regular rapes continued.
The girl, now 15, stood in court and cried as a support person read her victim impact statement.
Halfway through, she gathered herself and bravely finished reading the account.
Despite her horrendous experiences as a child she was determined to move on.
"I want to live and love life. I want to be a success," she said.