Northland man jailed for 13 years over historic sexual abuse of six boys
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A Kerikeri man who abused six boys in repeated, premeditated offending while he was part of an underground sect has been sentenced to 13 years in prison.
William Stephen Easton, known as Bill Easton, has been sentenced in the Kaikohe District Court on 55 charges related to historic sexual offending against children.
The 80 year old was a minister of the Two by Twos, also known as The Truth, a secretive Christian sect.
Judge Brandt Shortland told Easton the level of his offending was “unprecedented”.
“It was very serious offending over a long period of time. The aggravating features are clear, the premeditation, the vulnerability of the young people, the absolute betrayal of trust of…children of people who looked up to you, that admired you, that respected you, because of your position in your church.”
Judge Shortland said the fact there were six victims and the offending happened consistently over many years indicated how serious it was.
Easton’s offending spanned four decades and took place around the country, involving six victims who were boys at the time. The youngest was seven.
“The predatory nature that was consistent over a long period of time and the consistency of the offending can’t be overlooked,” Judge Shortland said.
He said there was a clear power imbalance, so much so that one of the survivor’s parents did not believe them when they disclosed the abuse because of the position Easton held.
After the sentencing, the police’s lead investigator for the prosecution Detective Constable Mark Reid acknowledged the victims and their families and the ordeal they have been through.
“While the man responsible for the offending has been sentenced, police understand that no conviction will ever take back what has happened,” he said.
Content retrieved from: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/535890/northland-man-jailed-for-13-years-over-historic-sexual-abuse-of-six-boys.
