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Richard Balsom
.
Sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection and indecent assault of a girl under 12 in the 90s
Also indecently assaulted a ten year old girl in 2006
.
.
none known
Born 1967
Prison
Sentenced to 8 years 6 months with a 5 year minimum non-parole period in July 2009
Background
Bay of Plenty Times, Tauranga, August 3rd, 2009
A Kaimais man found guilty at trial of sexually violating and indecently
assaulting a young girl, and also indecently assaulting another, has been
jailed for 8 years.
Richard Mervyn Balsom, 44, a driver, must serve at least five years before he is eligible to apply to be considered for parole. In June after a three-day trial Balsom was found guilty on one representative count of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection on a female aged under 12, four representative counts of indecent assault on a female aged less than 12 relating to the first victim.
He was also found guilty of a further count of indecent assault on a female aged under 12 relating to the second girl. Balsom, who was sentenced in Tauranga District Court on Friday by Judge Peter Rollo, continues to maintain he is innocent. The first victim gave evidence at trial that she was repeatedly molested by Balsom in the 1990s between the ages of 7 and 11, and feeling suicidal she finally revealed in 2002 she had been sexually abused.
During an interview with a specialist interviewer for Child, Youth and Family, she recounted that Balsom had kissed her and touched her indecently "heaps" of times. The second victim gave evidence she was indecently assaulted by Balsom in 2006 when she was 10 but the abuse was not reported to police until early 2008. Crown prosecutor Sarah Simmers said offending of this nature involved a breach of trust and had profound and ongoing effects on the victims. She said the offending deserved a sentence starting at 9 to 10 years in prison.
Ms Simmers said a minimum non-parole period of at least 50 per cent was called for given there was two sets of offences, and the ongoing nature of the first offending and Balsom's continued denials. Mothers of the two victims read out their personal victim-impact statements to Balsom before he was jailed, describing at length the harrowing effects of the fallout of his molesting their daughters.
The mother of the first girl described how tortuous it was to watch her daughter drink herself into oblivion to try to forget, and how she had twice attempted suicide. She said Balsom was a person who had portrayed himself as a good man but was in fact "evil in disguise".
"They say time heals all wounds but no matter what time you spend in prison there would always be a scar which may never be healed." The other mother told Balsom: "You have rocked the foundation of our world .. and have handed us a sentence longer than you will ever serve." Balsom's lawyer Tony Balme argued a lower starting point of seven to sevenyears was more appropriate but it was accepted that because Balsom continued to maintain his innocence he could not claim the usual discounts for mitigation factors.
Balsom deserved a discount for his otherwise blameless record, he said. Mr Balme argued imposing a minimum non-parole period was not necessary for Balsom, a first-time offender before the courts, and hanging one over his head may act as disincentive to undertake rehabilitative programmes in prison. Judge Rollo said he was satisfied nine years' imprisonment was required for acts of such appalling nature against two young vulnerable girls, and that took into account Balsom's continuing to deny his crimes.
The judge said he would give six months discount taking into account the aspects of Balsom's good character and personality described in references put before the court, including one from his employer. Judge Rollo said clearly a minimum non-parole period of five years was warranted as Balsom serving only the usual two-thirds of his sentence would be an inadequate response, which was imposed to deter him and others from such offending.
This was also necessary because Balsom had been assessed as at high risk re- offending.
Bay of Plenty Times (Tauranga) June 19th 2009
A jury has found a Kaimais man guilty of sexually violating and indecently
assaulting a young girl and indecently assaulting another.
Richard Mervyn Balsom, 42, driver, was found guilty on one representative count
of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection on a female aged under 12
following a three-day trial this week in Tauranga District Court.
He was also found guilty of four representative counts of indecent assault on a female aged less than 12 relating to the first victim, and on a further count of indecent assault on a female aged under 12 which relates to the second complainant. He was remanded in custody pending sentencing on June 29. The first victim gave evidence that she was molested by Balsom in the 1990s between the ages of 7 and 11. As a result of feeling suicidal she finally revealed that she had been sexually abused in 2002.
During an interview with a specialist interviewer for Child Youth and Family, she recounted that Balsom had kissed her and touched her indecently "heaps" of times. The second complainant gave evidence at trial she was indecently assaulted by Balsom in 2006 when she was 10. The abuse was not reported to police until 2008 and he was arrested and charged in February 2008. When spoken to by police, Balsom who had not previously appeared before the courts, declined to make comment.
