A former doctor convicted of multiple sexual offences involving teenage boys has been sentenced to home detention rather than prison, despite strong Crown opposition and a shocking history of similar offending.
52-year-old Jared Cook appeared in the Wellington District Court after pleading guilty to a range of charges stemming from inappropriate touching of boys he had befriended through their families between 2014 and 2020, as well as possessing objectionable material and making intimate visual recordings.
The court heard his behaviour was persistent and involved serious breaches of trust, compounding the harm to victims and their families, who described long-lasting trauma, fear and guilt in emotional impact statements.
Cook had previously pleaded guilty to indecent assaults on young boys in 1997, a fact the judge said added weight to the seriousness of the current offending.
The Crown argued Cook’s expressions of remorse were superficial and belated, questioning his insight, compliance with bail conditions and commitment to treatment.
However, the defence said he had accepted responsibility, engaged in psychiatric treatment and lost almost everything, including his medical career.
Judge Bruce Davidson acknowledged the Crown’s concerns but said the guilty pleas, treatment engagement and personal consequences were “just sufficient” to justify home detention.
Cook was sentenced to 10 months’ home detention, placed on the sex offenders register, ordered to undergo treatment, barred from contact with children, restricted in his use of electronic devices, and required to pay emotional harm reparation to three victims.
Next please
There seems to be an ever ending supply of sexual perverts and associated assortment of deviants along with all other forms of criminality and uncleanliness in NZ
And it hasn’t all just suddenly arrived
We are surrounded by corruption hypocrisy and lies
Which is why You should ask to be delivered from this evil on a daily basis
What a joke. No wonder people don’t bother going through the ordeal. Which then just enables predators to continue.
In my opinion, there is no consistency in sentencing in NZ. Small wonder people have little faith in the system.
Why was this known paedophile doctor working at the Waikanae Health Centre? He had been convicted in 1997 for his activities with young boys. There was obviously a coverup.