WARNING: This article discusses child sexual abuse and may be upsetting to some readers.

Looking in from the outside, the kind gesture from a man who offered to support a mother by babysitting her children when things got too much seemed genuine.

But, unbeknownst to the mother, the man was taking advantage of the girls any chance he could, even while his wife slept in the next room.

Now, Alexander Wright, 61, has been jailed for 20 years with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years, with a judge commenting his prospects of rehabilitation are slim, especially if he doesn’t acknowledge his guilt.

The sentence has been applauded by Child Matters manager Jane Searle as a significant sentence responding to justice.

“The trauma and lifelong impact on the lives of those victims impacted cannot be underestimated.

“It’s important the justice system responds appropriately because the impacts are far-reaching not only for the victims but also for the community,” Searle told NZME.

At a jury trial in the High Court at Whangāreiearlier this year, Wright was found guilty of 38 charges of sexual offending against three girls all under the age of 12 at the time.

The charges related to various kinds of violations, including eight rapes, which occurred repeatedly.

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Justice Michael Robinson said the victims were strong, brave and resilient young women with years of potential ahead of them.

“I want to particularly acknowledge and pay tribute to their courage. Each continues to suffer for what you have done to them and each has a long road ahead.

“Hopefully moving forward they can take comfort that justice has been served because of their courage,” Justice Robinson said.

For years, Wright offered to help the mother babysit her children, sometimes overnight, in his family home.

Almost immediately he began sexually violating the children.

On one of the girl’s first overnight visits, Wright sexually violated her in the lounge and when she moved to a room to be closer to his wife so she could feel safe, he took her back to the lounge and violated her again. The following morning he raped her.

“I note now there is no suggestion, and there has been no suggestion, that your wife was aware of your offending,” Judge Robinson commented to the man who appeared in the dock at the High Court at Whangārei for his sentencing on Friday. 

‘You preyed on her’

The girl gave evidence at trial that Wright was constantly trying to touch her in either her own home or his and even when she locked herself in a bathroom to get away from him, he managed to get to her.

The girl thought that by putting up with Wright’s behaviours she was protecting her younger sisters from him and was devastated to learn they were also victims of his predatory behaviour.

“There was nothing she could have possibly done to protect them from you, you preyed on them like you preyed on her, she is not at all responsible for your offending. The only person responsible is you,” Justice Robinson said.

One girl put up with the abuse hoping she would protect her sisters. Photo / 123rf

Wright violently pinned another one of the girls down and raped her, while he sexually violated another one multiple times.

“She told you to stop, you told her not to tell you what to do and if she told anyone, she wouldn’t see what was coming,” Justice Robinson said.

‘How could you do that?’

One of the victims told the court her childhood had been shattered and her innocence taken.

“I was told to keep my mouth shut, how could you do that to someone at the ripe age of 7?

“Every man I looked at was a monster, every boy was a demon,” she said in court at the sentencing.

The victim said she was scared she would be blamed if she told the truth and had a message for her younger self.

“I wish I could hug that 7-year-old and tell her ‘There are no more worries and no more monsters living inside the house’.”

Justice Robinson criticised Wright’s continual denials and viewed his offending as serious and significant.

“You claim to be a victim of false allegations but your victims have had the courage to come forward.

“Instead of caring for them you used and abused them constantly for your own gratification ... they were vulnerable children.”

Justice Robinson sentenced Wright to 20 years imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years.

“If you continue to deny your offending, you will serve your full term. If you continue to deny your offending, no rehabilitation programmes will be offered. Your prospects of rehabilitation seem slim.”

Wright was automatically added to the child sex offender register.

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.

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.