Warning: This story contains details of sexual offending against a child and may be upsetting.

A man who was jailed for three and a half years for indecently assaulting a 10-year-old girl went on to commit similar offences against a 4-year-old girl a decade later.

The victim of Michael Brendon Buck’s latest offending described the trauma as something she could not comprehend.

“I have lived with it for many years, I don’t think I had ever had a reaction, not until the day I came forward to my family about what happened when I was 4 years old.”

Her victim statement was read out in the Christchurch District Court by Crown prosecutor Jade Lancaster when Buck appeared for sentencing on multiple charges of sexual conduct with a child aged under 12.

The victim said the hardest thing to do was telling her family about Buck’s offending.

“I didn’t really think anything of it, the damage it might cause, the guilt, talking about it, I still get a sore throat, my heart caves into the pit of my stomach.

“It is heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, it makes me sick now; I have stopped trying to understand why someone like that would take advantage of me, not realising that things like that shouldn’t happen to you.”

She wanted Buck to acknowledge what he had done.

Do you have a justice story we should be covering?
The court heard the victim was often in Buck’s care, and that when she was 4 or 5 years old, he had committed an indecent act on her.

When the victim was aged between 8 and 9 years old, he again committed an indecent act on her.

He went on to deny the offending before saying he didn’t have a direct recall of the events, but accepted the summary of facts if that was what the victim had recalled.

While defence lawyer Rupert Ward said Buck had shown remorse and taken responsibility for the situation, Judge Gerard Lynch didn’t accept his claim of remorse.

“Any remorse was about the fix you found yourself in rather than any heartfelt remorse for this child,” Judge Lynch told him.

Judge Lynch said the thought of going back to jail had “terrified” Buck.

Lancaster submitted an uplift in the sentence for Buck’s criminal history.

“Obviously this is offending of a type where prison is appropriate.”

The Crown also sought to have Buck placed on the Child Sex Offender Register.

Judge Lynch said Buck, now 65, had been sentenced to three and half years’ jail in 1991 for indecent acts on a girl aged under 12.

While there had been more than 30 years between the convictions, it was only 12 years between the offending, the judge said.

“That you have offended again like this is worrying.

“She was very young, you exploited her for your own gratification, it is plain the harm he caused, it will be with her for some time.”

Judge Lynch told Buck he did not accept his claim of remorse after Buck had entered not guilty pleas and sought a sentencing indication.

From a starting point of 24 months’ jail, Judge Lynch sentenced him to 10 months and two weeks’ home detention and placed Buck on the Child Sex Offender Register.

“This is the sort of case when an order is needed to protect any children or any other person, the risk is real and genuine.”

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.

Al Williams is an Open Justice reporter for the New Zealand Herald, based in Christchurch. He has worked in daily and community titles in New Zealand and overseas for the last 16 years. Most recently he was editor of the Hauraki-Coromandel Post, based in Whangamatā. He was previously deputy editor of the Cook Islands News.