An Auckland executive who has admitted paying a teenage girl for sex met the teen on Snapchat, where he described himself as a “sugar daddy”.
After a couple of weeks of the 14-year-old girl messaging the man intimate pictures and videos of herself, they met in person and the executive paid her $1000 for sex.
The man, whose name is suppressed, earlier this month admitted a charge of paying a person aged under 18 for sex. The law says it’s illegal for anyone to enter into a contract, or “other arrangement”, for sex with someone under 18.
The executive will be sentenced in March, but details of his offending can now be revealed.
Court documents obtained by RNZ said the middle-aged man didn’t know the 14-year-old girl before the pair met on Snapchat, an encrypted social media platform.
In early September, the executive added the teen as a friend and they started talking.
“This included requesting a photo of the victim, asking how old she was and reporting himself as a sugar daddy,” said a court summary of the offending.
“In reply, the victim sent a photo of her face.”
The teen told the executive she was 17, three years older than her actual age.
Uber eats for pictures
The summary said the teen requested the executive pay for Uber Eats for her. He said he would if she sent him intimate pictures, which she did several times, for which the man bought takeaways.
This continued for about three weeks.
“Between 3 and 17 September, the victim sent the defendant 12 images and 19 short videos,” the summary said
These were taken or recorded in the teen’s bathroom, where she was naked and either “sexually posing” or engaging in sexual acts.
“These are sexualised images, including a video of the victim wearing her school uniform.”
On September 14 the executive bought the teen a $200 Prezzy Card.
A week later he paid for an Uber to drop the teen at his house. On arrival she said she was 17, and the executive paid her $1000, but he said he knew that as she was under 18 he couldn’t pay her for sex.
At the teen’s request, the executive then paid for an Uber to bring one of her friends, who was also 14, to his house.
The executive and the teen he paid money to then went to his bedroom, where “sexual activity occurred”.
Afterwards, the executive paid for the teen and her friend to take an Uber to a shopping mall.
Executive claims no contract entered into
When police contacted the executive, he gave them a statement after speaking to a lawyer.
“He stated it was his belief the victim was 17 years old and he did not enter a contract for sex.”
The teen said she felt disgust at her interaction with the executive, who had no previous convictions.
When he appeared in the Auckland District Court this month his lawyer Graeme Newell said police had moved fast in laying the prosecution and, at that stage, the executive hadn’t yet told his family and had only just informed his employer.
At Newell’s request, Judge Belinda Sellars, KC, didn’t convict the executive.
He faces a maximum sentence of seven years’ jail and is on bail until his sentencing.
The executive has since left his job.
rnz.co.nz
