After seven years of sexual offending, a 55-year-old Invercargill man has been sent to prison for a decade.

Ross Joseph Allan Bigham appeared in the Invercargill District Court yesterday after pleading guilty to an array of offences against one young girl.

The nine charges of sexual violation occurred between 2015 and 2022.

The mother of the victim said when she heard about the crimes, she “dropped to the ground and cried in pure disbelief”.

She described the offending as “vile” and said it made her feel like a failure as a mother.

“If he wanted to destroy my family, he’s done a good job.”

The court heard the victim was struggling with her mental health following the offending.

The victim’s impact statement was also read in court.

“My trust has been broken and I don’t feel safe,” she wrote.

“This will follow me for the rest of my life.”

Immediately after Bigham’s arrest on November 15 last year, he admitted his offending to police.

The court heard he expressed a struggle to come to terms with his actions.

Judge Russell Walker said the defendant knew what he was doing was wrong, but did not do anything to prevent his “constant and relentless” offending.

 “Clearly, help was available to you but you chose not to seek it out,” he said.

Bigham said he was terribly sorry and felt he had brought shame to his family.

The judge told him “the only shame you have brought on anyone is yourself”.

He questioned whether the defendant’s remorse was genuine or out of self-pity.

“You clearly put yourself in a position where you could offend ... and you did that time and time again,” the judge said.

He called the victim impact statements “harrowing”.

“I think she [the victim] put it best herself when she said she was a kid — she didn’t know what to do.”

Bigham was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.

- Felicity Dear, ODT

SEXUAL HARM

Where to get help:
If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone, contact Safe to Talk confidentially, any time 24/7:
• Call 0800 044 334
• Text 4334
• Email [email protected]
• For more info or to web chat visit safetotalk.nz
Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.
If you have been sexually assaulted, remember it's not your fault.