Kiwa Hamiora-Te Hira was sentenced at the Manukau District Court on Monday. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
A former Destiny Church youth leader who sexually abused several young boys has been sentenced to six years in prison.
Kiwa Hamiora-Te Hira plead guilty late last year to a number of sexual violation and indecent assault charges.
The assaults took place over five years while Hamiora-Te Hira was working for youth programmes understood to be connected to Destiny Church.
"The breach of trust in this case was egregious, there's no other way to describe it," said Judge Clare Bennett before delivering her sentence at the Manukau District Court on Monday afternoon.
"These young men placed their trust in Mr Hamiora-Te Hira... And he abused that trust."
The sentencing was preceded by impact statements from six victims who described feeling betrayed by a person they believed to be a role model and even a father figure.
The judge said the assaults appeared to have a "high degree of premeditation," because they mostly involved Hamiora-Te Hira inviting the boys, aged between 13 and 24, to his home.
"The offending was persistent... over five and a half years. For [one victim] it happened over 100 times," Judge Bennett said.
She recounted the assaults in detail, most occurred while the boys were asleep in Hamiora-Te Hira's home.
Hamiora-Te Hira's lawyer, Kelly-Ann Stoikoff, said he was "struggling with his sexuality".
"Most unfortunately for everyone, he allowed himself to surrender to his feelings," she said.
"It also led Mr Hamiora-Te Hira down a road of self loathing and self harm."
Judge Bennett pushed back on that characterisation.
"It's not just a confusion of sexuality, is it Ms Stoikoff? He abused very young victims."
Hamiora-Te Hira was sentenced to 76 months imprisonment, which included a 25 percent discount for his earlier guilty plea.
The judge also confirmed he would be added to the child sex offender registry.
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