Majority of the Jurors have found former Hutt Valley pastor Jone Conikeli guilty on one charge of assault with intent to commit sexual violation and two charges of indecently assaulting a child.
Jone Conikeli was on trial in the Wellington District Court on a range of charges, including assault with intent to commit sexual violation, indecently assaulting a child and doing an indecent act on a young person.
After the verdicts were returned, the Judge gave Conikeli a three-strike warning and released him on bail to reappear in court next month.
Conikeli is on strict bail conditions, including that he has no contact with anyone under 16 unless under the direct supervision of an adult.
No sentencing date has been set, as the Crown is still to decide whether to seek a retrial on the charges the Jury could not agree upon.
The Crown accused Conikeli of using opportunities that arose to attack the girls, who were aged 11 and 15 at the time, including dragging one of them into a toilet, and trying to persuade her to have sex with him.
Crown prosecutor Ian Murray said Conikeli grabbed the younger girl while playing handball with her.
However, the defence lawyer Chris Nicholls told the Jury that his client maintained the offense did not occur.
Nicholls said the girls had colluded with each other while away in Auckland in the school holidays and made up untrue allegations against his client.
Source: Radio NZ
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