Jamie  Arnold

Background

Background
The Press (Christchurch) 14th February 2008
A boarder babysitting an eight- year-old girl indecently assaulted her after he encouraged her to lie beside him naked, a court has heard. Jamie Curtis Arnold, 19, unemployed, was yesterday sentenced to 150 hours community work and 18 months "intensive" supervision after admitting indecent touching.

In the Rangiora District Court Judge John Strettel ordered Arnold to attend an assessment for the STOP sexual offender programme and not to have contact with any child under 16 unless accompanied by someone over 20 years who knew about his convictions.

The judge said Arnold had been left in a position of trust and the parents of the child now blamed themselves for what happened. Arnold did not accept full responsibility for his behaviour and told the probation service the touching had been accidental. But in other areas of the report he said he did not know why he did such a stupid thing.

"This attempt at reducing your liability for this offending does not do you credit," said the judge. "The fact is any type of offence of this type is serious." The judge accepted Arnold did not have previous offences of this type, that there was a degree of naivety and that he lacked social skills. Counsel Keith Hales said the touching had been brief and had occurred when Arnold's relationship had just ended, he was in pain from a broken leg and had lost his job.