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Offender Databases Steven Arps

Steven Geoffrey Arps

Alias

.

Offences

Indecently assault of a young Christchurch boy in 1993

Victims

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Offender Affiliations

.

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1975

Current Location

Unknown

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to 18 months, suspended for 2 years and 6 months periodic detention in March 2000

Background
Christchurch Press, 9th March 2000
An intellectually impaired man who sexually abused a child in the early 1990s became the subject of a smear campaign in his neighbourhood, the Christchurch District Court has been told. Steven Geoffrey Arps, 25, a car groomer, pleaded guilty last week to indecently assaulting a young boy in 1993, when Arps was 18. Pip Hall, defending, said that Arps, then married with two children, recently moved close to the home of the family of the boy because it was the only accommodation available. "As a result a flyer was sent around the neighbourhood naming Arps as a sex offender. I think (the victim's) family accept responsibility for that," counsel said.

Mr Hall said that Arps would be a target for attacks in prison, something which he was ill-equipped to handle. Judge Murray Abbott said it was disturbing that, despite pleading guilty, Arps continued to maintain his innocence in the pre-sentence report. The delay in bringing the matter to finalisation was blamed by Arps for the failure of his marriage and by the boy's family for the impact on them. "Offending of this nature and seriousness generally results in a sentence of imprisonment with immediate effect because it involves a gross breach of trust," the judge said. However, Judge Abbott said he was able to deal with the matter by imposing an 18-month jail term, suspended for two years, combined with six months periodic detention. He refused an application for name suppression.

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Corrections and Additional Information
We endeavour to make this database as accurate as possible, but we are at the mercy of whatever information we can find in various online and offline archives. We rely on the public - that is, people like you - to fill in the gaps that we cannot. If you wish to submit additional information or a correction to this file CLICK HERE . Privacy: Trust policy is that all sources are treated as strictly confidential unless we are explicitly told otherwise. If you wish to see a file removed from this database certain conditions must be met by the offender set out HERE Note that this does NOT apply for those that are the primary offender in a murder, rape, or any sexual offending involving minors. We do not enter into correspondence regarding the guilt/innocence of offenders. Such correspondence is not responded to, especially if the offender concerned has a number of prior convictions

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