David Chai Pegler, a 37-year-old former social media influencer known as David Grr, has been publicly identified after nearly five years of his criminal charges being kept secret.
Pegler, previously celebrated for his fashion posts and event appearances, was sentenced in Auckland District Court for sexually abusing a friend in 2007.
He had already been imprisoned since 2022, serving a nine-year sentence for the abuse of two other teenage boys.
Despite multiple convictions, suppression orders kept his identity and details under wraps until now following his latest guilty plea.
His legal battles, including unsuccessful appeals, have been marked by allegations of serial sexual predation, with victims recounting waking up to unwanted sexual acts by Pegler. The suppression ended with his latest sentencing, revealing a pattern of behaviour that spanned over a decade.
