WARNING: This article discusses child sexual assault and may be distressing.

A man who filmed himself sexually violating children as young as four, sometimes in public changing rooms was told “You destroyed my children’s lives” by a parent of two of the victims.

The mother described the pain of watching her son go from being happy and loving school to being violent and depressed, never leaving the house and turning to self-harm.

Grant Smallridge, 35, appeared at the Christchurch District Court where he was sentenced on 22 charges relating to sexually violating children and filming his heinous acts.

Smallridge also encouraged one victim to send sexual photos and videos, calling him a “good boy” when he obliged.

The mother of one of the victims had her victim impact statement read in court by Crown prosecutor Kerry White.

She described how her son developed “severe anger issues” and has watched him go from a kid who loved going to school and playing sports to a violent boy who doesn’t leave his room. His personality has “completely changed.”

She said her son blames himself for what happened, often saying it was his fault Smallridge abused him.

She said Smallridge destroyed her children’s lives and worries about how his offending will affect them in the future.

White outlined her concerns for the “lack of understanding” of harm Smallridge has caused, stating he sometimes justified his actions.

Smallridge’s lawyer Lee Lee Heah said while at times her client has minimised or tried to justify his offending, there were also times when he admitted what he did was wrong.

She asked the judge to take into account the abuse Smallridge had endured when he was growing up.

Family members of the victims held each other in court, crying quietly while the judge outlined Smallridge’s offending. He sat emotionless in the dock.

Judge Tom Gilbert said Smallridge had a “distorted view” of his offending, often trying to justify it without fully accepting the harm that was caused.

“What you did to these kids has shaken their lives to the very core and completely altered them,” the judge said.

The judge, however, noted that Smallridge had pleaded guilty, meaning his victims didn’t have to give evidence at a trial.

Judge Gilbert also acknowledged Smallridge’s difficult background, stating he endured abuse of his own growing up.

He sentenced Smallridge to nine years and two months imprisonment and registered him on the child sex offender’s register.

The heinous offending

According to the summary of facts on March 7, 2021 Smallridge took a video of a naked preschooler in a public swimming pool changing room while inappropriately touching her.

Two months later he was at a public swimming pool with a boy aged under 13. They showered together and Smallridge made the boy touch him inappropriately. He then took the boy out to his parked car and had sexual connection with him while filming it on his cellphone.

Over the next couple of months he filmed himself sexually violating the children, filmed them showering in changing rooms and exchanged indecent photographs and videos with the boy.

At a New Year’s party Smallridge took three videos of another preschooler touching him indecently while they watched something on his iPad.

Smallridge gave the boy tips on what he would like him to do, often calling him “good boy.” He also met with the boy to have more sexual connection with him in a garage.

On May 1, 2022 Smallridge sent objectionable publication to a female associate, involving a child aged about five, performing an indecent act on an adult.

Police searched Smallridge’s home several weeks later and found child exploitation material on his phone, including a video of a girl aged about 10.

There were 22 charges in total, including making an objectionable publication, sexual connection with a young person, sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, possessing and distributing objectionable publication, doing an indecent act on a young person, and exposing a young person to indecent material.

SEXUAL HARM

Where to get help:
If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:
• Call 0800 044 334
• Text 4334
• Email [email protected]
• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz
Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.
If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.

Emily Moorhouse is a Christchurch-based Open Justice journalist at NZME. She joined NZME in 2022. Before that, she was at the Christchurch Star.