Christopher Victor Todman, 71, was recently found guilty of six charges of indecent assault representing acts, which progressed in seriousness over six weeks in the 1990s.
Yesterday, the Dunedin District Court heard that Todman was a music teacher who provided services for John McGlashan College at the time.
The 12-year-old victim attended weekly sessions with Todman in the vestry — a small room connected to the chapel.
There, the defendant’s inappropriate behaviour took place.
He started by touching the pupil’s leg, which progressed to pressing his face against his and later licking and nibbling the boy’s ear.
On the final occasion he groped the young boy, causing him to turn around and strike Todman and tell him not to do it again.
His then-counsel, Anne Stevens, KC, said Todman’s offending was like an "addiction or compulsion" of which he was not conscious.
Crown prosecutor Craig Power said at yesterday’s sentencing "we have clearly what can only be described as grooming behaviour."
He said licking the boy’s ear was a "particularly gross" act.
Mr Power said the offending was premeditated and Todman had betrayed the parents, who trusted him to teach their son.
Todman said he felt sorry for the victim, but maintained his innocence.
"This is a man who ... has no insight in relation to this offending. There’s no remorse," Mr Power said.
Counsel Deborah Henderson explained her client did not have any memory of what the victim described.
She said a sentence of home detention would be a fair response to the crime.
"What you did was absolutely inexcusable," Judge David Robinson said.
"Home detention in your case offers little by way of punitive effect given your age and lifestyle."
The victim said while he always knew Todman’s actions were wrong, it took courage and soul-searching to make a complaint.
Judge Robinson said imprisonment was the only suitable sentence given the circumstances and sentenced Todman to 11 months’ jail.
