Gregory David Carey (49) appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday after pleading guilty to committing an indecent act.
Judge John Macdonald sentenced him to three months’ home detention and ordered him to pay the 21-year-old victim $500.
Carey claimed he had only made a "masturbating gesture” to the victim but prosecutor Sergeant Chris George said the defendant was fixated by the young woman.
The judge noted that over the course of a year, the defendant had sent the victim 100 Facebook messages with "sexual overtones” before she blocked him.
Carey, who was jailed for five years in 2000 for sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, lived in Dunedin when the offending occurred on April 20.
He was standing behind a short fence, reaching up to his knees, facing the victim’s home while the woman was eating breakfast.
"As he was masturbating he was facing towards the victim’s home," court documents said.
The woman ran to her parents’ room in a distressed
state and informed them of what she had seen.
Her mother went out and yelled at Carey, who continued to stand behind the fence.
Judge Macdonald said the victim was "disgusted” by the experience and was uncomfortable living in such close proximity to the man.
Carey faced the wall as he stood in the dock.
The judge asked whether he was embarrassed.
"I think most people would be — yes,” he said.
Counsel Anne Stevens QC said Carey had lost his job as a result of the offending and would serve home detention in "very primitive accommodation”.
"It will be a very harsh sentence,” she said.
