Auckland District Court heard today how a former school teacher used his position of power to indecently assault 11 of his students.
The court was told of how while teaching at Hebron Christian College in Auckland 64-year-old Allan Randall often sexually abused his female students during class time.
Judge Anne Kiernan described the sordid scene to the courtroom: "You would, when walking around the classroom, walk up behind her and massage her neck, while you would do that your fingers would be down her chest."
Another incident was also detailed by Judge Kiernan: "You grabbed her shorts from behind and pulled her back, you fingers went inside her shorts... and your hand was on her bottom"
The victims, aged between 10-12 years, began wearing more clothes to discourage the inappropriate touching from Randall, said Crown Solicitor Phil Hamlin.
"The girls were dressing up and putting more clothes on to prevent this happening," said Hamlin.
The offending occurred over a period of five years, ending in March this year when three of the victims told their parents what was going on. As a result eight more girls came forward.
Randall, who had been a teacher since 1970, was stood down after an emergency meeting of the school board of trustees.
In June Randall pleaded guilty to the offences.
Defence lawyer Anthony Rogers claimed Randall has a pornography addiction.
"The pornography for him has been as much an addiction as alcohol or drugs are for other people," said Rogers.
He said he was caught twice accessing nudist websites at school in 2006, and offered his resignation.
Hebron Christian College Principal Geoff Matthews said that Randall was disciplined severely following the website incident "and there was no further incidents that we know of".
Before handing down his sentence in court today, Judge Kiernan described victims mature beyond their years.
"The children who have written have said they prayed about this and have forgiven you," she said.
Randall was sentenced to two years in jail.
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