A 77-year-old man has been sentenced to eight and a half years imprisonment following a raft of historical sexual abuse offences.
William Richard Cash was sentenced this morning in the Kaikohe District Court.
Detective Senior Sergeant Geoff McCarthy says the police want to acknowledge the victims through this case and the ordeal they have been through.
"This was abhorrent offending inflicted on children, who should have been safe with their caregivers and free to enjoy their youth."
McCarthy says that although Cash has now been held accountable for his actions, "no sentence can ever take back what has happened to the victims in this case".
The police are encouraging anyone who may be a victim of sexual assault to come forward and report it to the police.
"Police take these matters seriously and we will work with them to ensure they can report these matters in confidence," says McCarthy.
