Warning: People may find details in this article distressing
Two "monstrous" child sex offenders who filmed their crimes have been sentenced to decades in prison at the High Court in Rotorua today.
Andrew Williams, 54, was sentenced today on 56 sex crime charges to 23 years and five months in prison, while 32-year-old Laken Rose was sentenced on 55 charges and sentenced to 19 years and five months.
They must serve at least 40 per cent of their sentences before being eligible for parole.
Williams and Rose met at the 2009 Horse of the Year Show, and the court heard their relationship developed quickly, moving in together within weeks.
During that time, they would develop relationships with children – something they said was largely facilitated by Rose – followed by intimate photography and video recordings and, ultimately, sex crimes and, on some occasions, rape by Williams.
The seven victims were girls aged between three and 13 with the offending spanning from 2014 to 2019.
Prior to sentencing, a parent spoke to the pair in court and called the offending "monstrous".
"Our children would not have been harmed if not for either of your actions," they said.
"Taking your child to a rape examination is an experience I wish on no other parent."
They said that process shattered them into "a thousand pieces".
"I feel this massive guilt that I have not been able to protect my child."
"Their pain may never go away - their futures are in jeopardy," they said.
Justice Matthew Muir said the implications of the offending "may be life long and life threatening".
"It is in fact difficult to imagine more egregious offending against children, words such as sickening and depraved come to mind," he said.
"It may be many years yet before the full extent of the harm can be identified."
Much of the details of the offending are too graphic to be published, however during her 2020 trial the court saw the video captured of the victims being sexually abused.
Some of the abuse happened in one of the victim’s cot. Videos also showed a three-year-old victim on a sheepskin rug, and at another time wearing a tiara. Other abuse involved sex toys, took place in a bath, or in a garden.
Offending took place in Katikati, in the Bay of Plenty, Cambridge, and Hamilton.
Text messages were also found between the pair, some read out in court today by Justice Muir.
“Be great 1 to 4 no talking xxx,” Williams texted Rose on 29 September 2018.
“Yeah babe that’s the ages I want and really you can do what ever you want to them xxx” Rose replied a minute later.
In March 2019, the parents of two of the victims were tipped off about alleged offending against their children.
The police later raided their Cambridge home and seized several electronic devices.
Officers found thousands of images – including pictures and videos of offending of all the complainants.
“On that search the police discovered other items, for examples underwear of children – some used, some not used, some with the crotch area cut out of that underwear,” said Crown Prosecutor Anna Pollett during the trial.
Rose claimed Williams was abusive towards her, controlled her finances, and threatened violence.
She said Williams pressured her to find and recruit adolescent girls for intimate photography and sex.
The pair will be registered on the Child Sex Offender register.
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