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Scout leader who groomed teens unmasked

Author
Greymouth Star,
Publish Date
Mon, 14 May 2018, 1:06PM
At the time of the offending Wayne Noble was a Venturer scout leader in Hokitika. (Photo / 123RF)
At the time of the offending Wayne Noble was a Venturer scout leader in Hokitika. (Photo / 123RF)

Scout leader who groomed teens unmasked

Author
Greymouth Star,
Publish Date
Mon, 14 May 2018, 1:06PM

A Hokitika scout leader who admitted six charges including sexual grooming and making objectionable publications can now be revealed.

Wayne Alexander Noble, 43, of Hokitika was sentenced to five years' jail in the Greymouth District Court on Friday on charges of meeting young people for sexual grooming, sexual connection with a young person under 16, two of dealing with a person under 18 for sexual exploitation, and two of making an objectionable publication.

At the time of the off ending Noble was a Venturer scout leader in Hokitika.

One of his victims was in court, which was full of their supporters and scouting representatives.

The other victim watched the proceedings via an audio visual link.

Both were Venturers.

In a victim impact statement, she stated she was groomed by Noble and she was made to promise she would keep what was going on a secret.

She found it hard to talk about what had happened, and when she thought about it, it made her cry.

Noble would separate her from the others in the group and get her to do things just for him, she said.

She "dreaded" going to Venturers, but kept going because her friends were there.

"He tricked me into keeping it a secret because he told me he would kill himself — I was trapped and did not want to be responsible for his life."

She also spoke of how Noble had forced her to hide from the world.

She felt she was a burden on her family and has since been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.

"Before this happened to me I was a bubbly, happy child who loved life."

She felt paranoid because she thought everyone in Hokitika knew about what had gone on and she stayed at home.

She had been traumatised by the time she had to wait for the trial, she said.

Until Noble pleaded guilty she relived what happened over and over again.

In another victim impact statement, Scouting New Zealand wrote that what Noble did placed a cloud over all of the adult volunteers there.

"There used to be 60 members in Hokitika, now they are in recess and other members tried in vain to rebuild trust."

What Noble did was "soul destroying."

They pleaded with the court to lift name suppression, to end the cloud of doubt and enable Scouts to rebuild in Hokitika.

Scouts New Zealand also apologised for what Noble did when people's children were in their trusted care.

Crown lawyer Sean Mallett, said the victims felt isolated and trapped.

The probation report said Noble was still a high risk of causing harm to others and reoffending. He had minimised the offending and had been victim blaming.

"What he did was a colossal betrayal of trust.

"Noble was a community leader and role model."

He said the Crown also opposed permanent name suppression and the victims did as well.

Mr Mallett also said Noble would have to go on the child sex offenders register.

Lawyer for Noble, Doug Taffs, asked that Noble get allowances because of his volunteer service to the community for over a decade, both as a scout leader and a volunteer fireman.

His lack of prior offences meant he should be given greater credit.

"He accepts he needs counselling and therapy and is mortified and puzzled as to why he made poor choices. He does apologise to the victims, the community and the organisations he hurt."

Judge Charles Blackie said Noble groomed and filmed young people, and the images were posted on various sites.

"I have just touched on the facts as they are too gross to go into in more detail," the judge said.

"The young people were in your care and they have suffered at your hands."

The judge said he would not give Noble any credit for remorse: "your expression of remorse were far too late, nearly five years too late."

The judge also said there would be no credit
for Noble's good character either.

"Your good character evaporated in 2013 when you started grooming these people." He was also given a three strikes warning and Judge Blackie declined final name suppression.

- Greymouth Star

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