A man who police say targeted vulnerable children has been sentenced to eight years in prison, with a minimum non-parole period of five years.
Daniel Bell, 39, appeared in the Whanganui High Court today after being convicted of 13 sexual offenses against children dating back to 1999.
Bell was found guilty of one charge of unlawful sexual connection, six charges of indecent assault with a girl under 12 and six charges of indecent assault on a child. He also pleaded guilty to one charge of indecent assault with a girl aged between 12 and 16.
Senior Constable Tanya Ross says the charges involve seven girls, aged between four and 14 at the time of offending.
"The trauma experienced by the victims as a result of this offending has been significant, and I know that reliving the trauma by giving evidence has been extremely difficult.
"I applaud them for their courage in coming forward, and I hope that today's sentence will contribute to their healing."
Bell was also convicted in January 2014 of three indecent assault charges, serving two years' imprisonment.
Newshub.
