Two women who were not believed as teenagers have 25 years later seen the man who sexually offended against them go to jail.

Anthony Allan Griffiths, 70, was jailed for two years and two months at his sentencing in the Christchurch District Court yesterday.

He had pleaded guilty to charges of indecently assaulting the two girls by touching them when they were aged 14 and 15 years old and sexually violating one of them.

Both women read victim-impact statements in court.

One of the women told of Griffith's laughing in her face when she complained and was not believed.

"Today I feel vindicated and strong after being called a liar," she told the court.

The women spoke of anxiety issues and post-traumatic stress disorder since the offending.

Defence counsel Mark Callaghan urged that a home-detention sentence be imposed, but Judge David Saunders said there was criticism of the home-detention address.

The judge noted that Griffiths shook his head in disbelief at times during the sentencing as the events were described.

He said Griffiths was showing by his body language that he did not accept the account of what had happened.

The victims had been vulnerable and the harm had been obvious.

He reduced the jail sentence because of Griffiths' age and health issues, but he said: "Your body language and reaction today still suggests there is little remorse about this offending in your mind."

- © Fairfax NZ News