A jury has found a man guilty of sexually violating and indecently assaulting a 14-year-old girl and indecently assaulting another, at a trial in the Invercargill District Court.
Michael John Kay (44) was charged with meeting a young person following sexual grooming, two charges of sexual violation and three charges of indecent assault (one of them a representative charge) of a girl under 16 years, and one charge of indecent assault of a different girl aged under 16.
The violations and assaults took place throughout Southland on the night of August 20/21, 2020.
The Otago Daily Times can now name Kay as interim suppression of his name has lapsed.
One of the girls told police during her evidential interview played in court on Monday that Kay had given them Gabapentin (an anti-convulsive drug) before the assaults occurred.
Kay's lawyer Hugo Young sought bail until sentencing, however Judge Harvey declined the application.
"A term of imprisonment is inevitable."
Judge Harvey convicted Kay and remanded him in custody to appear for sentence on December 13.
