A former head of music from Auckland's Dilworth School has been sentenced to eight years behind bars for committing sex crimes against boys in his care.
Leonard Cave showed little to no emotion as the sentence was handed down at the High Court in Auckland.
The judge described his offending as "premeditated" and said he "engineered" opportunities to take advantage of his students.
The 75-year-old faced an eight day trial in late May.
On June 1, a jury found him guilty of abusing four boys from Dilworth and another boy at Hamilton’s St Paul’s Collegiate.
Cave's eleven charges include indecent assault, indecency between males, sexual violation, and supplying cannabis and LSD to students.
READ MORE: Former Dilworth teacher guilty of sexually abusing students
The impact of his offending was described in victim statements read by Crown Prosecutors Jacob Barry and Belle Archibald in court on Friday.
The ongoing depression suffered by those who've survived abuse was a common theme.
One victim wrote, "To this day it still causes me deep anxiety".
Another said he's suffered "regular periods of depression and anxiety".
In a final statement read by Barry a victim stated, "I have been diagnosed with PTSD and major depressive episodes".
The Crown Prosecutor read out a statement in court from one of Cave's victims. (Source: 1News)
He described how Cave's abuse "ground down [his] self confidence" and he "lost the ability to work for a number of years".
The same man wrote that he didn't know if he'd ever be free of the damage his former teacher caused.
Justice Mary Peters also spoke of the long-lasting effects on victims and said to Cave, "All of that is to be laid at your door."
The offending, which stretched almost four decades, began 52 years ago when Cave was just a house tutor at Dilworth. At the time, he was aged in his early 20s.
He would play the organ for choir rehearsals in the chapel, where one day a choirboy, no older than 15, was left alone.
During the trial, the court heard the victim recall how the teacher advanced towards him, got uncomfortably close and then touched his crotch.
He proceeded to grab the student’s hand, pulling it towards his own crotch.
The man said he complained to the school at the time, but no action was taken.
Cave left the school to travel abroad but was rehired as head of the music department a few years later, and also became choirmaster.
During that time, Barry says his offending "only escalated".
In the 1980s, he “coaxed” students to his bach on Waiheke Island, plied them with alcohol and then took advantage of them.
One of three students abused at the holiday home described how after what happened to him, he escaped, but was chased down the road by his teacher.
READ MORE: Man says former Dilworth teacher chased him down road after escape
The case against Leonard Cave is being heard in Auckland's High Court. (Source: 1News)
During the trial Barry told the jury Cave's teaching roles "weren’t just a platform for him to enjoy professional success, they also paved the way for him to find his own forms of perverse pleasure".
The court, on Friday, was read a letter of apology written by Cave following his trial, addressing three of his five victims.
Justice Peters asked defence lawyer Warren Pyke if his client would like to read the letter, but Pyke opted to read it himself.
It started with, "I hope my writing isn’t rubbing salt into the wounds."
The defendant went on to state he "regretted" what had occurred at his Waiheke Island bach and he wished he could undo it all.
He wrote that he felt "dreadful" during the trial hearing their "distress".
He claimed at the time of his offending he believed it was a "mutual adventure."
Barry suggested the judge give "no weight" to it, as it's come "at the 11th hour."
He said it seems Cave's more sorry for the position he's in, rather than having genuine remorse.
A statement from Dilworth Trust Board Chairman Aaron Snodgrass said, "We acknowledge the courage of all Old Boy survivors who laid complaints and had their voices heard, and crimes against them acknowledged, during Cave’s trial."
He said the former teacher was employed by the school for more than 10 years.
"Cave’s offending was a gross breach of trust, and today’s sentencing is a further step towards justice for our Old Boy survivors."
Cave was arrested as part of Operation Beverly, which has seen 12 men charged with historical sexual abuse in connection with Dilworth School.
He’s the only man to have stood trial for his actions, as several defendants died before court proceedings could progress and others pled guilty.
There is one other trial scheduled to go ahead in the Auckland District Court next year.
School action
Dilworth School has this week confirmed the terms of a Redress programme for former students who suffered abuse.
An independent panel has been established, made up by High Court Judge Dame Judith Potter as chairwoman, clinical psychologist Professor Ian Lambie and governance expert Ms Rukumoana Schaafhausen.
The panellists will together consider old boy survivors’ applications and determine the redress each will receive.
The board says it will have no control or influence over the decisions made.
The boy's boarding school had previously proposed a financial redress limit of $200,000.
The terms now state a maximum of $300,000 may be given, if when assessing an incident, the panel deems it "exceptional, when compared to other instances".
A class action group of 130 survivors has previously taken issue with the cap and remain disappointed.
It says Dilworth Trust Board continues to ignore the voices of survivors.
A survey completed last month found 98% of survivors believe it is inappropriate for Dilworth to unilaterally cap the financial compensation.
Group spokesperson and survivor Neil Harding said, “Dilworth’s refusal to take into account the views of survivors is insulting and shows that the trust board, including chairman, Aaron Snodgrass and trustees Jonathan Mason, Leo Foliaki, Peter Alexander, and Simon Curran, is only interested in paying as little as possible to the survivors, who live every day with the effects of being sexually abused as young boys by Dilworth staff and representatives while attending the school.
“To be truly independent and in the best interests of survivors, the enabler and perpetrator of the abuse, in this case, Dilworth, should not have any role in deciding who gets what and how much they get."
He feels Dilworth is controlling the process.
"Honestly, I believe it’s a farce that the Dilworth Trust Board have labelled this redress programme as ‘independent and unprecedented in New Zealand’," he said.
The Dilworth Redress Programme will launch its website on August 29 and invite old boy survivors to register their interest in making an application for redress.
An independent inquiry, led by Dame Silvia Cartwright is also underway.
A report on its findings is expected by the end of the year.
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