Social media influencer jailed for raping, sexually violating teens while they slept

3:14 pm on 14 October 2022

By Catrin Owen of

Warning - This article discusses details of rape and sexual assault

The influencer was found guilty of five charges of sexually violating the two men in 2016 and 2017. Photo: Public domain

A social media influencer who raped one man and sexually violated another while they slept has been jailed for nine years.

The influencer, who cannot be named, was found guilty of five charges of sexually violating the two men in 2016 and 2017. He continues to maintain his innocence.

On Friday he was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment by Justice Rebecca Edwards in the High Court at Auckland.

The influencer who was friends with the victims abused the trust of those relationships, Justice Edwards said.

On more than one occasion the pair - who were teens when they were victimised - found themselves waking up in the influencer's bed being sexually assaulted.

They were both heavily intoxicated at the time.

Justice Edwards told the influencer the pair "did not, could not and would not consent to what you did.

"Your offending included that of the most intrusive kind."

The influencer first went to trial in 2021, but the trial had to be aborted due to the Covid-19 Delta lockdown.

Ahead of his first trial, the man admitted assaulting the first victim at a party in 2019 and possessing MDMA, also known as ecstasy. He was convicted and discharged on these charges.

Denied the right to say no

One of the victims, who is now in his early 20s, told the court he had been emotionally, physically and psychologically damaged by the offending.

The influencer had the opportunity to mentor the young man but instead took the goals and potential of an innocent 18-year-old and destroyed them, he said.

The young man's self-confidence, self-trust and self-worth had been shattered.

"He's stolen my 20s, which should have been fun and full of adventure," the man said.

Prosecutor Sam Teppett read the second survivor's victim impact statement, which said it had been an emotionally devastating part of his life that would be with him forever.

"I was denied my right to make a decision against it, I was denied my right to say no and I was denied my right to fight back.

"He took what he wanted for his pleasure and left me to live with my pain."

Teppett submitted there was premeditation in the influencer's actions. He sent sexualised messages to one of the victims, who was 16 at the time.

At no point were they interested in a sexual relationship with him, Teppett said.

Both victims were clearly vulnerable and there was a power imbalance because the offender was a successful influencer who lied about his age, the court heard.

"Both victims were significantly intoxicated, the influencer must have been aware of this before he offended them."

The defendant's lawyer Susan Gray said her client still maintained his innocence, but had started some rehabilitative efforts in prison.

The court heard the influencer had anxiety, PTSD and depression.

Co-defence lawyer Emma Priest sought continued interim name suppression, as she had instructions to appeal the man's convictions.

Priest told the court her client had already been subjected to breaches of the interim suppression order on social media.

The application for name suppression was opposed by the Crown and Stuff. However, Justice Edwards granted continued suppression until the appeal, if one is filed.

*This story first appeared on the Stuff