The 30-year-old appeared in the Whangārei District Court for sentencing after admitting a charge of possessing an objectionable publication with a girl he met on Discord.
In 2014, Laurenson was 17 and they began messaging, progressing to an online relationship until 2018.
They have never met in person.
When the victim was 15 and Laurenson was 21, he requested she send him nude photos.
“She was reluctant, but you told her that you would do anything for her,” the court heard.
He sent her photos of himself naked and the victim sent several images of private body parts.
The victim’s impact statement was pre-recorded and played in court, where she said she developed a deep emotional attachment to Laurenson.
She said at first she felt excitement but those feelings quickly changed.
“As a child, I mistook that attention for love and genuine care.
“Looking back now, I feel a profound sense of grief for the innocence and normal childhood experiences that were taken from me.”
She said years of manipulation, control and threats left her feeling worthless and maintaining the secret relationship took a toll on every aspect of her life.
“During the relationship I was exposed to sexual material and pressured into behaviours that I was not nor developmentally prepared for.”
She said she was terrified of losing the relationship and felt trapped between her discomfort and fear of abandonment.
“My understanding of relationships and intimacy became distorted at a very young age. I often believed that my value as a person depended entirely on what I could do for others.”
The woman said she was doing well today but still has significant trauma and PTSD.
“When I look at my children now I am reminded of how young I was when the abuse began.
“As a parent, I find myself worrying about dangers that other people may never have to think about.”
The victim reported the abuse to US authorities who eventually located Laurenson in New Zealand.
The victim was 15 when Laurenson requested nude pictures from her. Photo / 123RF
Crown lawyer Danica Soich said the charges were category C but one photo was obtained through pressure.
“Coercion is how I’ve recorded it,” Judge Gene Tomlinson said.
Soich said it was considered grooming to an extent, but Judge Tomlinson interrupted.
“I’m not sentencing him for the online sexual abuse and grooming because none of that’s in the summary of facts and he’s not charged with that.”
Soich said Laurenson had exploited the relationship and accepted he knew the victim was 15 when he obtained the images.
“Offending of this nature is always serious,” she said.
She also questioned the sincerity of his remorse, noting his letter to the judge contained only a single sentence referring to the victim.
Laurenson’s lawyer Mathew Ridgley reminded the court he was not being sentenced on the relationship.
“That is not a matter for sentencing today,” Ridgley reminded the court.
Laurenson was sentenced in the Whangārei District Court. Photo / NZME
But Judge Tomlinson noted the relationship provided background to the circumstances enabling the coercion.
Ridgley said it was accepted there was coercion but only regarding one image and Laurenson’s remorse was indicated in his early guilty plea.
“Parliament has now said that when a defendant enters a guilty plea as early as this, he gets 25%,” Ridgley said.
“Hmmmm I’m not so sure about that,” Judge Tomlinson responded.
Judge Tomlinson said there was limited case law on this type of offending involving teenagers.
“Its not like a 50-year-old man getting something from a 15-year-old girl.
“There’s no precedent I can look at.”
Judge Tomlinson asked both counsel how old Laurenson was when he realised she wasn’t 16, but neither counsel had an answer.
“At law Mr Laurenson you are an adult and in New Zealand … she was a young person. A young person in New Zealand is under 18.”
The judge said in screenshots presented to police, Laurenson had referred to her as being 15 on three occasions and when questioned by police made some revealing statements.
“You said you were always worried this would come back up,” Judge Tomlinson said.
Judge Tomlinson said there was a power imbalance due to the significant age disparity and coercion to obtain “at least one, if not more of those images”.
The judge noted the offending was “youthful” and Laurenson was living a successful life.
“Please continue to live a good life.”
Laurenson was sentenced to five months’ community detention and 12 months’ supervision.
Pre-sentence reports said he was not a risk to children and was therefore not added to the child sex offender registry.
Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.
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