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Offender Databases Dwayne Francks

Dwayne Francks

Alias

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Offences

Indecent assault on two young Wellington girls aged six and seven years, in October 2004

Victims

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Offender Affiliations

.

Gang affiliations

none known

Age

Born 1957

Current Location

Christchurch

Parole/Release Dates

Sentenced to one year in February 2005
Front-end home detention approved May 2005
Released statutorily August 2005
Was also ordered to pay $15,000 reparation

Background
UPI story here
NZCity story here
From a Christchurch Press story December 5th 2004
The shame of former television funny man Dwayne Francks was exposed within a day – because one of his young victims was so frightened. One of the girls refused to go to bed and when her grandmother Jan (not her real name) went to kiss her goodnight, the six-year-old screamed.

She froze, naked on her bed, crying and refusing to put her pyjamas on. Moments later, she revealed Francks had indecently assaulted her and a friend the night before, and told them not to tell anyone. The child had spent the previous night at her friend's house. But that October evening, Francks, the laughing piano man from 1980s children's programme Face the Music, was staying in the same house.

On Friday, he pleaded guilty in Wellington District Court to indecently assaulting the two girls. The Canadian-born comedian, who played piano and teased Simon Barnett in the hit TV2 game show, was friends with the father of one victim. Francks runs an entertainment business and was staying with the family while he was performing in Wellington. On October 2, after drinking, smoking cannabis and visiting strip clubs, the 47-year-old returned to the house early in the morning. About 6am, he went into the girls' bedroom and began to touch them.

The six-year-old told how she was scared and pretended to be asleep as he massaged her legs, stomach, back, arms, bottom. Francks then took the girls to his own room where he cuddled them on his bed and continued to assault them. He made the girls agree to promise not to tell what he had done.

The thought of going to bed again terrified the girl, but even after she told her family of the massage, she tried to protect "the secret" and would not reveal details. Jan is convinced they do not yet know the full story of what happened that morning.

"Some of her behaviour patterns come from what he said, what he did, and we don't know what that was. This is the frightening thing. I don't think we have got the full story out of them."

When asked if she is angry, Jan chooses her words carefully. "I think I'm just nauseated that there are people like that in the world. It's sick, it's truly, truly sick." Francks issued a statement expressing his shame and remorse on Friday and apologising to his victims. Jan says no apology can ever make up for what he has done.

But as her family watched him flee the media pack on Friday, clinging to his lawyer's coat and dodging television cameras, they felt that Francks was at last beginning to face the music. He will be sentenced on February 11 in Christchurch District Court.

Also from a Sunday Star Times story;
Former children's TV presenter Dwayne Francks pleaded guilty on Friday to indecently assaulting two girls.

The shame of former television funny man Dwayne Francks was exposed within a day – because one of his young victims was so frightened. One of the girls refused to go to bed and when her grandmother Jan (not her real name) went to kiss her goodnight, the six-year-old screamed. She froze, naked on her bed, crying and refusing to put her pyjamas on. Moments later, she revealed Francks had indecently assaulted her and a friend the night before, and told them not to tell anyone.

The child had spent the previous night at her friend's house. But that October evening, Francks, the laughing piano man from 1980s children's programme Face the Music, was staying in the same house. On Friday, he pleaded guilty in Wellington District Court to indecently assaulting the two girls.

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Corrections and Additional Information
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