She told the Herald she also took his pants and his phone, and left him in the room. <\/p>\n
While he was in there, she believes he used his Apple Watch to wipe his devices.<\/p>\n
She says by the time police got to his home and searched his devices, they told her they had been wiped clear and no illegal footage was found.<\/p>\n
\u201cI shudder to think what images he had, because if I was so desperate to clear every device that I owned in two f***ing minutes, what am I trying to hide?\u201d<\/p>\n
The man used Meta smart glasses. Photo \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n
Police were unable to comment before deadline for this story.<\/p>\n
Through his lawyer, the engineer declined to comment. <\/p>\n
The discharge without conviction has left the woman angry, and she does not believe those who commit sex crimes should be eligible for a discharge. <\/p>\n
\u201cMen like this, in today\u2019s modern age of technology, are particularly dangerous.\u201d <\/p>\n
She believes the outcome of her case sends the message that other men can \u201cget away with this too, because look, this guy did it\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt tells [sex workers] that the law doesn\u2019t care about us, it tells them that our safety doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d she told the Herald. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt means that we have to be so much more vigilant with our own safety, and we have to treat everyone like a potential predator, which is not fair.\u201d<\/p>\n
In court this week, the man\u2019s lawyer argued he would lose his job as a software engineer if he were named. <\/p>\n
This, the worker said, was exactly why he needed to be identified. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is why I called the police. This is why I requested he didn\u2019t get name suppression, because I\u2019m concerned for the women in his life.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said that after his offending, she left her workplace because she no longer felt safe there. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been hugely tough on me financially, it\u2019s been incredibly stressful.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said the $1000 reparation he paid her would not even cover her therapy bill.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t do this work because we enjoy it. We do this work because we need to. We do this work because we are in a situation in life where we desperately need to be able to get ahead and that\u2019s the only way that we can do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
While she did not usually trust police, she reported the crime because she \u201crecognised a predator\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cI just knew that this was a dangerous man, and I recognised the severity of what he was doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe public deserves to know if there is a sex offender living alongside them. I think women especially deserve to know if their colleagues, friends, family members have committed sex crimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Potential immigration consequences were raised at the man\u2019s sentencing as one of the reasons he sought a discharge without conviction.<\/p>\n
While his victim is pro-immigration generally, she believes men who have committed sexual crimes should be immediately deported. <\/p>\n
Fight for anonymity<\/p>\n
The defendant\u2019s lawyer Sam Teppett told the North Shore District Court this week that the man would lose his job if he were named.<\/p>\n
He also referenced social media commentary about the case, and said while traditional media were bound by reporting rules, the same did not apply on social media and sites like Reddit.<\/p>\n
Teppett urged Judge Anna Fitzgibbon to consider his application cumulatively, including the impacts that would flow on to those close to the man.<\/p>\n
The Herald is unable to report other aspects of the application for legal reasons.<\/p>\n
At the man\u2019s sentencing, Teppett argued his client should be granted a discharge without conviction as the consequences of a conviction would outweigh the gravity of the offending.<\/p>\n
If convicted, the man was likely to lose his job in the software industry and would not be able to get another, Teppett argued.<\/p>\n
A conviction of this nature in the man\u2019s industry \u201csimply wouldn\u2019t fly\u201d with current or future employers.<\/p>\n
Teppett said there would also be immigration consequences for the man and his family that could potentially \u201ctear apart his family unit\u201d.<\/p>\n
The man had no prior convictions, had shown extraordinary remorse and had donated money to a charity associated with sex workers, Teppett said.<\/p>\n
Police strongly opposed the application for discharge without conviction and said no affidavit from the employer had been provided.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe employer should know about this offence,\u201d prosecutor Bronson Burgess said.<\/p>\n
Immigration New Zealand should be made aware of the full nature of a person\u2019s history, Burgess said.<\/p>\n
The agency\u2019s understanding of the defendant would be limited if he was not convicted for the offending.<\/p>\n
Not imposing a conviction would also send the wrong message about safety to sex workers.<\/p>\n
Burgess said the man claimed he had stopped watching pornography and seeing escorts. But if he returned to visiting sex workers, \u201cthey should be entitled to know who they\u2019re offering services to for their own safety\u201d.<\/p>\n
In his view, there was a \u201clevel of premeditation\u201d to the offending, as the man had taken a shower and put the glasses back on afterwards.<\/p>\n
During last year\u2019s sentencing hearing, Judge Fitzgibbon said the defendant claimed that pressing the record button was a \u201cspontaneous decision\u201d as he was struggling to maintain an erection.<\/p>\n
The man\u2019s early guilty plea, remorse, willingness to attend restorative justice, donation to the New Zealand Prostitutes Collective and ability to maintain employment were mitigating factors.<\/p>\n
The judge found the consequences of a conviction would be disproportionate to the offending.<\/p>\n
Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers issues such as sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.<\/p>\n