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John Lonneker
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Sexual violation by unlawful connection (x4) and indecent assault on a Riverton girl from when she was aged five in 2001 to 2005
An earlier conviction for indecently assaulting another girl in 2006
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.
none known
Born 1954
Prison
Sentenced to 7 years 6 months with a 5 year non-parole period in February 2010
Background
The Southland Times 5th February 2010
A Riverton man found guilty of sex offences against a 13-year-old was today sentenced to seven and a half years' jail. John William Lonneker, 55, appeared in the Invercargill District Court before Judge Kevin Phillips for sentencing. Lonneker was found guilty on four charges of sexual violation by unlawful connection and one of indecent assault on a child under 12, between January 30, 2001, and July 8, 2005.
During the trial last year the victim, now 13, said Lonneker touched her genitals and violated her on frequent visits to his house.
Judge Phillips sentenced Lonneker to seven and a half years' jail, with a minimum non-parole period of five years and ordered him to pay $10,000 reparation.
The Southland Times 8th December 2009
Name suppression for a Riverton man found guilty of sex offences against a 13-year-old was lifted yesterday. The Southland Times can reveal he is 55-year-old John William Lonneker. He was remanded in custody to reappear on January 25 for a sentencing date.
The Southland Times 5th December 2009
A 55-year-old Riverton man accused of sexually abusing a child was found guilty on four of five charges by a jury in the Invercargill District Court yesterday. The man, who has continued name suppression, was found guilty on four charges of sexual violation by unlawful connection and one of indecent assault on a child under 12, between January 30, 2001, and July 8, 2005. The jury found him not guilty on one charge of sexual violation by unlawful connection that related to a different part of the victim's anatomy.
It took about six hours for the jury to reach its verdicts and as they were read one juror wiped tears from her eyes. The man's supporters and family members seated in the public gallery sobbed as he turned around to face them. Judge Kevin Phillips praised the jury members for their disciplined approach in reaching their verdicts, in difficult circumstances. But before he released the jury, he revealed the man had been convicted on a charge of indecently assaulting a child in 2006.
During the trial the victim, now 13, said the man touched her genitals and violated her on frequent visits to the man's house. The victim was the stepdaughter of the man's son. She said she was abused hundreds of times from the age of 5 or 6 until she was 10 or 11. The man was remanded in custody to reappear in court on January 25 for a sentencing date to be allocated.
The Southland Times 4th December 2009
A 55-year-old Riverton man's "big guts" made the sexual offending against a child he is accused of too difficult, a jury in the Invercargill District Court was told yesterday. The man, who has name suppression, faces four charges of sexual violation by unlawful connection and one of indecent assault on a girl under 12 between January 30, 2001, and July 8, 2005. He has denied the charges. In his closing statement, defence lawyer Bill Dawkins told the jury some of the alleged offending was said to have happened while the man was sitting in his chair and the girl was standing in front of him.
The man's "big guts" were enough to make the alleged offences near impossible, he said. It was the man's comfortable chair, the chair he watched television on, Mr Dawkins said. "Maybe, for once in this man's life, his obesity will come to his aid." In his closing statement, Crown prosecutor John Young said the jury could use evidence from the complainant and a witness heard on Wednesday, who claimed she, too, was sexually abused by the man when she was a child, 19 years ago.
The similarities in their allegations were hard to ignore, happening from the same age, at the same house and in the same room, Mr Young said. "If you accept he has acted like this before, he could be more likely to do it again."
The accused deliberately attracted children to his house with a trampoline, Sky TV, lollies and money, he said. The complainant stuck to her story throughout questioning because what she said was true, Mr Young said. Her evidence would trouble an adult, let alone a 13-year-old girl, he said. Mr Dawkins said although there was only one complainant, with allegations from the witness, the accused was essentially defending against two.
He asked the jury to be disciplined enough to make decisions without prejudice and based on all the evidence. It was unusual the girl would keep returning to the house to be abused and it was more reasonable that she went to get lollies, pocket money and have fun, Mr Dawkins said. Judge Kevin Phillips will sum up the case this morning before the jury retires to deliberate.
The Southland Times 3rd December 2009
A middle-aged Riverton man accused of historic sex offences against a young girl also sexually abused a second young girl, a jury in the Invercargill District Court was told yesterday. The man, who has name suppression, faces four charges of sexual violation by unlawful connection and one of indecent assault on a girl under 12 between January 30, 2001 and July 8, 2005. He has denied the charges. In a video interview played during this week's trial, the complainant said the man began touching her inappropriately when she was 5 or 6.
A second Crown witness in the jury trial, who is in her mid-20s, yesterday said the man had also committed sexual acts against her when she was a child. Defence lawyer Bill Dawkins said the woman told police in 1990 the man had kissed her and touched her private parts, but she had since made further accusations against the man. He questioned differences in her statements to police down the years. Mr Dawkins asked the woman if a statement she gave police in 2006 in which she made an allegation about the man was true or false.
"If I am thinking about it now it's false ... I don't know why I told the policeman that, I don't recall it ever happening," she said. When questioned by Mr Dawkins about another alleged incident that she had failed to reveal to authorities on occasions, she said: "Yes, I remember it now, it's true." Mr Dawkins: "It's coming back to you now, as you give evidence? Woman: "Yes." Mr Dawkins: "It didn't form part of your evidence in 1990 or yesterday, but you do recall it now ...?" Woman: "Yes, it's true."
Mr Dawkins asked the woman if she recognised there were significant differences in the statements she had made to police during the years. She agreed, but said later that the "two big ones I am talking about will never leave me". Mr Dawkins: "But those two never formed part of your original complaint?" Woman: "But they happened." The trial continues today.
The Southland Times 1st December 2009
The trial of a 55-year-old Riverton man accused of multiple sex offences against a child began in the Invercargill District Court yesterday.
The man, who has name suppression, appeared before a jury and Judge Kevin Phillips on four charges of sexual violation by unlawful connection and one of indecent assault on a child under 12 between January 30, 2001, and July 8, 2005. Crown prosecutor John Young told the jury the charges laid against the man were representative and although the incidents could have happened multiple times, the Crown would only have to prove each offence happened once. He told the court the complainant was the stepdaughter of the accused's son.
She would often visit the man and it was during these visits the incidents allegedly happened, he said. In a video interview recorded in July last year, the complainant, now 13, said the man began to touch her inappropriately when she was as young as 5 or 6. She said he told her to keep going back to the house, so she did. The touching escalated to various sexual acts, which could each last about four minutes, she said.
Describing what happened, she said it was "disgusting". She said the man would pay her $3 or $5 each time not to tell anyone because he knew he would get into trouble. She said in the interview the alleged incidents could happen as many as five times a week and carried on until she was 10 or 11. The complainant told the interviewer some of the acts performed on her by the man happened hundreds of times. The trial continues today.
The Southland Times 2nd December 2009
A 13-year-old girl's tearful evidence against a 55-year-old man dominated day two of a jury trial in the Invercargill District Court yesterday. The man, who has name suppression, faces four charges of sexual violation by unlawful connection and one of indecent assault on a child under 12 between January 30, 2001, and July 8, 2005.
When asked by defence lawyer Bill Dawkins to describe what the man had allegedly done, the girl, who gave evidence from behind a curtain and broke into tears several times, said the man had touched her genitals and violated her. He had done so after locking the door, taking off her clothes and putting her on to a kitchen bench, or standing her in front of him while he was sitting in a chair, she said.
Mr Dawkins told the jury the man denied the actions. He asked the girl if she wanted an opportunity to tell the truth, to which she replied she was. In a video interview, played for the jury on Monday, the girl says the man began touching her inappropriately when she was as young as 5 or 6. The trial, before Judge Kevin Phillips, continues today.
