Indecent act 'clearly premeditated'

A 50-year-oldChristchurch man who tracked his teenage victim in Invercargill to commit an indecent act on her, was sentenced in the Invercargill District Court yesterday to home detention.

Joseph Augustine Williams appeared before Judge Kevin Phillips for sentence on a charge of doing an indecent act on a girl aged between 12 and 16 on January 6, last year. He was sentenced to six months' home detention.

The court was told Williams lived on the same street as his victim in Christchurch but they barely knew each other.

The girl moved to Invercargill to live with her grandparents and one day Williams turned up on her doorstep, wanting to see her.

He had tricked one of the girl's friends into revealing her new address.

Judge Phillips said Williams convinced her grandparents to allow her to go to The Warehouse with him under the guise he needed her to help him buy a present for his son.

Although her grandfather accompanied them to the store, he stayed in the car while Williams and the girl went inside, Judge Phillips said. There he insisted on buying her clothing and, despite her not wanting to, made her try it on, he said.

Williams entered the changing room and touched the girl as she was changing in and out of her clothing.

It continued after leaving the store, when Williams showed the girl pornography on his laptop computer, gave her an adult toy and encouraged her to use it. She refused.

Judge Phillips said Williams had told a probation officer he was not guilty and only pled guilty to avoid trial because it was a "lottery".

Williams had claimed his actions were impulsive but the planning and forethought was plain to see, the judge said.

He was mistaken to think the girl was an easy target when she was in fact strong and determined, Judge Phillips said.

- © Fairfax NZ News