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Serial convicted sex offender – former school principal – could be up for release soon

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Stuff News (20/05/13) reported: “A former school principal imprisoned in 2010 for more than eight years for sexually abusing [male] students could be released as early as August 2013”. He was first seen for a parole in May 2013, but the hearing was carried over until August. The Parole Board Report released its report on 6 August 2013 and turned down his request for parole. He is next to appear before the Board for another hearing in July 2014.

Back on on 1 August 2010 The Sunday Herald reported. “A convicted offender is still registered on the New Zealand Teachers Council website despite being convicted for molesting boys in two different schools in the early 1990s…. Elvis Dobson Shepherd was suspended  on full pay in November 2007 after being charged with sexually abusing students at both Hato Paora (St Paul) College [at Chelterham in Feilding] and Hato Petera College [in Northcote] Auckland.”

[See: http://archive.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/rt/onlineregister.stm Reg. No. 177105. Mr Shepherd’s teacher registration was eventually cancelled and he was recorded on the Teachers Council website as under “censure”, but not until some months after he was sentenced to a jail term of eight years and four months in September 2010].

Elvis Dobson Shepherd, 52, also known as Tihirau, was found guilty on 30 July 2010 on two counts of sexual violation by oral sexual connection and two counts of indecent assault while he was teaching Te Reo Maori in an experimental total immersion unit at Hato Petera College, a Maori Catholic boarding school on Auckland’s North Shore, in the early 1990s. [Prior to that he had taught for some time at Wellington High School in the Te Reo Maori language – total immersion unit].

At the time of his sentencing in September 2010, Shepherd, was principal of Feilding’s Hato Paora College and was promoted to the position in 2002 despite warnings from Hato Petera.

When the allegations first surfaced in November 2007 he was stood down as principal on full pay and remained on full until  he was sentenced in September 2010.

He was also charged with sexual abuse against Hato Paora students, but two separate juries could not reach verdicts in relation to some of the charges while he was found not guilty of others.

When sentenced Shepherd’s continued lack of remorse and denial of the proven charges was noted.

In a parole decision the board noted there were still “question marks” over Shepherd’s insight into his offending.

“For example, the psychologist referred to his limited empathy for the welfare of the victims and an overemphasis on meeting his own needs, which were said to have been likely to have precipitated the offending.”

But a comprehensive proposal put forward by Shepherd and his whanau that involved him completing the SAFE Programme for sexual offenders while in the community had merit, it said.

However, the address put forward for Shepherd to reside at had not been put to probation for consideration so could not be considered.

The board postponed the meeting until August 1, 2013 so Shepherd’s whanau could organise a hui with probation, the SAFE network and other interested parties so discussion could take place about the release proposal and his acceptance of the offending.

Source

Sex offender could be up for release

Story by Shane Cowlishaw

Stuff News 20 May 2013

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/8694850/Sex-offender-could-be-up-for-release

No Parole for ‘deviant’ principal

Story by Sam Boyer. 7 August 2013.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/9013153/No-parole-for-deviant-principal

Convicted sex offender – a school principal who identifies as “bisexual” – and the NZ Teacher’s Council register

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The Herald on Sunday reported on 1 August 2010. “A convicted offender is still registered on the New Zealand Teachers Council website despite being convicted for molesting boys in two different schools in the early 1990s…. Elvis Dobson Shepherd was suspended  on full pay in November 2007 after being charged with sexually abusing students at both Hato Paora (St Paul) College [at Chelterham in Feilding] and Hato Petera College [in Northcote] Auckland.”

[See: http://archive.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/rt/onlineregister.stm Reg. No. 177105. Mr Shepherd’s teacher registration was eventually cancelled and he was placed under “censure” after he was sentenced to a jail term of eight years and four months in September 2010. Just over two-and-a-half  years later he is now up for a parole hearing -reported two days ago 20/05/2013].

Stuff News reported on 31 July 2010, after a name suppression order for the sex offender was lifted:

“The sexual encounters between Elvis Dobson Shepherd and two teenage boys occurred while he was teaching and living at Hato Petera College, a Maori Catholic boarding school on the North Shore.

“The 49-year-old, [also known as Tihirau Shepherd], who identifies as bisexual, was also a student at the school before returning to teach te reo Maori in an experimental total immersion unit in 1989.”

The Herald on Sunday report stated:

“Elvis Dobson Shepherd was found guilty of four indecent assault charges against two teenagers in the High Court at Palmerston North on Friday [30 July 2010].

“The offences took place while Shepherd was teaching at Hato Petera College, a Maori Catholic boarding school on Auckland’s North Shore.

“Shepherd found employment at Maori boarding school Hato Paora near Palmerston North despite allegations of sexual encounters with boys at his previous post.

“Former Hato Petera trust board member Ashley Balls said Shepherd ‘deserted his post’ before the allegation was properly investigated. He then became deputy principal of Hato Paora in Feilding in 2002.

“Balls said he called Hato Paora to warn them about Shepherd’s past when he found information about the incident in the school files years later.

“But Hato Paora took no action and in 2007 two students came forward with allegations of sexual abuse. The school investigated, but found there was no case to answer.

“However, the Ministry of Education suspended Shepherd in November 2007.

But Balls said it was “odd” that the Teachers Council still had Shepherd listed on full registration. Balls described the situation as “political correctness gone mad”.

” ‘They couldn’t take the complaint to the Teachers Council because they hadn’t got anything provable’.

“Minister of Education Anne Tolley said she had complete confidence in the processes that would be followed by the Teachers Council to ensure Shepherd was never allowed in a classroom again. She said the Government also recently introduced much greater protection by passing data-matching laws which would mean this man would be identified if he ever sought employment at a school.

“In June, the Herald on Sunday revealed that three teachers who were sacked or quit over misconduct were still registered to teach on the official database that was supposed to warn parents and schools. The teachers kept their legal right to work in a classroom despite complaints to the New Zealand Teachers Council.”

Source:

Sex offender still registered on teacher website.

Sunday Star Times. 1 August 2010

Story by Anna Rushworth.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10662768

Fairfax NZ Media

School Principle molested students

Story by Bronwyn Torrie. 31 July 2013

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/3978623/School-principal-molested-students

Parole Board postpones hearing on sex offender – former school principal

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A former school principal imprisoned in 2010 for more than eight years for sexually abusing students could be released as early as August.

Elvis Dobson Shepherd, 52, was found guilty on two counts of sexual violation by oral sexual connection and two counts of indecent assault while he was teaching and living at Hato Petera College, a Maori Catholic boarding school on Auckland’s North Shore, in the early 1990s.

At the time of his sentencing in 2010, Shepherd was principal of Feilding’s Hato Paora College and was promoted to the position despite warnings from Hato Petera.

He was also charged with sexual abuse against Hato Paora students, but two separate juries could not reach verdicts in relation to some of the charges while he was found not guilty of others.

When sentenced Shepherd’s continued lack of remorse and denial of the proven charges was noted.

In a parole decision released to The Dominion Post,  the board noted there were still “question marks” over Shepherd’s insight into his offending.

“For example, the psychologist referred to his limited empathy for the welfare of the victims and an overemphasis on meeting his own needs, which were said to have been likely to have precipitated the offending.”

A psychological assessment report put Shepherd’s overall risk at medium low, with reference made to a lack of capacity for relationship stability, and deviant sexual preferences.

But a comprehensive proposal put forward by Shepherd and his whanau, which involved him completing the SAFE Programme for sexual offenders while in the community had merit, it said.

However, the address put forward for Shepherd to reside at had not been put to probation for consideration so could not be considered.

The Parole Board postponed its hearing until August 1 so Shepherd’s whanau could organise a hui with probation, the SAFE network and other interested parties so discussion could take place about the release proposal and his acceptance of the offending.

Source:

Parole Board highlights abuser ‘question marks’

The Dominion Post. Tuesday May 21, 2013, p. A4. Story by Shane Cowlishaw

Online version

Fairfax NZ News

Earlier stories:

Jail for sex-abusing ex-Principal. By Bronwyn Torrie.  16/09/2010

Former Hato Paora principal Elvis Dobson Shepherd has been imprisoned for more than eight years for sexually abusing students at an Auckland school, yet he is still proclaiming his innocence.

The 49-year-old’s continued lack of remorse and denial of the proven charges was noted by Justice Robert Dobson in the High Court at Palmerston North yesterday.

Earlier this year, a jury found Shepherd guilty on two counts of sexual violation by oral sexual connection and two counts of indecent assault…

Justice Dobson said while Shepherd still denied the victims’ version of events, he accepted the essence of their evidence.

“I have to hold you accountable for the harm you have done to your victims and to the community.”…

The 49-year-old was sentenced to eight years and four months’ imprisonment in the High Court at Palmerston North yesterday for sexually abusing two teenage boys in the early 1990s.

His offending occurred while he was a teacher and dorm master at Hato Petera.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/4135298/Jail-for-sex-abusing-ex-principal