‘Stealthful’ sex offending

| Greymouth Star Online article |

A 32-year-old Gloriavale father of seven was yesterday sentenced to home detention over “stealthful’’ sexual offending committed 16 years ago inside the isolated Christian community at Lake Haupiri.

Ready Standtrue, who was born and raised at Gloriavale, was 16 and 17 years old when he committed acts of sexual violation and indecent assault against his victim while she was in bed, sometimes asleep. The victim, an unmarried woman two and-a-half years older than Standtrue, only learned about one of the three sexual incidents after Standtrue confessed his actions to police in 2022. She left Gloriavale three years ago.

Senior Crown prosecutor Mitchell McClenaghan said Standtrue had taken himself into the Greymouth Police Station and owned up to the offending.

“The victim was starting to speak to people inside so it wasn’t purely for his own conscience — I think things were coming to a head.’’

The offending began in mid-2008 after Standtrue saw the woman naked as she exited the shower. Some weeks later he visited her bunk bed believing she was asleep and would be unaware of his actions.

He did this on three occasions over some months until ceasing the behaviour after a period of ‘’deep prayer and fasting’’ that ultimately led him to believe that God had saved him.

Standtrue later disclosed the offending to his wife shortly after his marriage in 2009.

He was unaware that his victim knew about the offending until 2020, when the victim’s husband spoke to him about the impact it had had on his wife, and their relationship. In 2021 the victim left Gloriavale but later that year, in learning Standtrue had started a teaching position at the Gloriavale School, she asked him to own up to his actions so she could be sure he was safe around children.

Standtrue pleaded guilty on his second court appearance to two charges of indecently assaulting a female over the age of 16, and one of sexual violation.

The Crown sought a starting point of five years imprisonment but accepted there should be discounts for Standtrue’s early guilty plea, good character, and age at the time.

Standtrue’s lawyer Michael Vesty said Standtrue’s offending was a product of youth and emerging sexuality. He was now 32 and married with seven children.

Standtrue was remorseful and wanted to be held accountable for his actions, Mr Vesty said. However, the starting point put forward by the Crown was too high. He sought a sentence of home detention, and said a property outside of Gloriavale was available for Standtrue to see that out.

‘’It won’t be a sentence of home detention in the normal sense. It will be a home away from his family … and away from the community.’’

Judge Mark Callaghan said Standtrue’s offending had been premeditated, and stealthful. ‘’The manner in which you carried out the episodes clearly shows you knew it was wrong. ‘’You did live in a community which meant that people were living in close quarters to some extent. As a young person you preyed upon the victim. It was stealthful conduct committed when she was in bed at night.’’ The judge said the offending occured when the woman was in bed and asleep: “Except on the last occasion … she woke up when you masturbated over her.’’

Judge Callaghan accepted Standtrue was remorseful, noting a long letter of apology he had written to the victim that was to be kept on police file should she wish to one day read it.

He also noted a number of testimonials filed from people inside and outside of Gloriavale, vouching for Standtrue’s character.

‘’You’ve gone on to live an otherwise impeccable life.’’

Standtrue had completed an apprenticeship and was now a licensed plumber and certified drainlayer and gasfitter.

The steps taken for rehabilitation were also “extensive’’ and included Standtrue completing a preventative sexual harm programme.

Further discounts for Standtrue’s youth also whittled down a starting point of four years and seven months imprisonment to one of just under 20 months. That was commuted to a home detention sentence of 10 months for the sexual violation charge, with six months for the other two indecent assault charges, to be served concurrently.