A teacher aide seen as a role model for young Maori had a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old boy.
Raelyn Jacquelyn Te Moni, 44, has been jailed for three years six months for her “predatory” offending.
Te Moni, who is training to be a chef, was found guilty by a jury on four charges of having sexual connection with a young person. One representative charge indicated repeated offending.
Christchurch District Court Judge Brian Callaghan said Te Moni was seen as a respected member of the community and a role model for young Maori. She spent a long time helping and supporting the community, which made the offending harder to understand.
The judge said the evidence showed full sexual intercourse took place eight or nine times.
Te Moni continues to deny the offending and the jury’s verdicts, but the judge described the relationship as “predatory behaviour”.