A rugby coach and teacher aide told police he only treated boys in his care as if they were his sons and denied all sexual offending.
Alosio Taimo on trial in the Auckland High Court. Photo: RNZ / Edward Gay
Alosio Taimo is on trial at the High Court in Auckland where he faces 106 charges of sexual offending against 18 boys over 29 years.
The youngest complainant was just nine-years-old.
Mr Taimo was originally charged with offending against one boy in August 2016.
But following a wide-ranging police investigation that included speaking to a number of boys Mr Taimo had been in contact with, a month later he faced additional charges relating to a further eight boys.
Today the jury heard an agreed set of facts.
The document included brief details of what Mr Taimo said after being arrested. At that stage there were just 67 charges.
"These things never happen[ed], I am really shocked but, hey, I will consult with my lawyer on all these.
[This is] not actually what I did for these kids. I am sure that, even though there is another one, even they are at your house [sic], you treat them like your son. A kiss on the cheek, you know? I will consult with my lawyer."
Mr Taimo declined to speak further when he was later charged with offending against the nine other complainants.
Earlier the jurors were handed new copies of the Crown's charge notice that increased the number of charges Mr Taimo faces from 83 to 106.
The extra charges were laid because witnesses have given further evidence of additional incidents over the past six weeks of evidence.
The Crown's case is that Taimo supplied sporting gear and video games to boys before he began sexually offending against them.
The 55-year-old was a senior member of his community and was trusted by families to look after their boys.
Instead, the Crown says, he abused their trust for his own pleasure.
Mr Taimo's defence is that the complainants have made up the allegations.
The trial has adjourned for the week and the Crown is set to finish calling evidence on Monday when the defence is expected to open.