A victim of serial sex offender Frank Russell Walmsley said watching him being sentenced to 22 years' jail "was a little bit more empowering''.
But she was not surprised the man had not admitted his guilt, and said she feared he would be released after his 10-year minimum sentence was up.
Walmsley (57), a former Oamaru caregiver, was sentenced in the High Court at Timaru yesterday after being found guilty of 52 charges, including 13 rapes, against eight teenage victims.
His offending began during his time as a Child, Youth and Family caregiver in Oamaru from 1995 to 2000 and resumed when he acted as a life coach in the Waitaki town from 2005 to 2012.
The victim, who first came forward to complain about the man in 2000, said she could not assess whether the sentence was long enough.
"You can't really put a time on that sort of thing, but it's good to know that it will be safe to walk around again and not to worry,'' she said.
"I still think that he's going to play the game and do what he needs to do to get out after 10 years.''
Another victim hissed "Yes!'' from the public gallery as Justice David Gendall sentenced the father of three.
Earlier yesterday morning, as the victim read her victim impact statement to the court, she said she felt trapped as a teenager, that she felt she would not be believed if she came forward, and she had attempted suicide more than once.
"I want him to know he should be ashamed and disgusted in himself,'' she said.
"I struggle with it every day; it hasn't stopped being difficult.''
Victim impact statements from five of Walmsley's victims were read to the court, two by the victims themselves as Walmsley looked on from the dock.
While one victim read her statement, Walmsley sighed and looked away, shaking his head.
The mother of three boys, she said she had lost her children to CYF, had abused drugs and alcohol, struggled to maintain relationships and distrusted authority.
"This man has destroyed my life. I have tried to forget everything, but I can't,'' she said.
"He treated me like a fresh piece of meat.''
Crying, and shaking, she could not finish reading her statement to the court and was helped by the officer in charge of the case, Detective Sergeant Rebecca Hill, of Oamaru.
After the verdict, Det Sgt Hill acknowledged the sentence passed down by the court and praised the "brave'' victims who came forward.
She hoped the sentence brought the victims some closure as they "start rebuilding their lives''.
Speaking about Walmsley's time running the CYF home in Oamaru during sentencing, Justice Gendall said Walmsley "breached the significant trust'' placed in him as a caregiver "for nothing more than personal sexual gratification''.
"This was one place that was meant to be secure and you ensured through your actions this was not the case.''
Further, the first investigation into Walmsley while at the CYF home "instead of curtailing your conduct, seemed to give you more confidence''.
He said he would not give Walmsley credit "for perceived good character'' in the references provided as he continued to deny his offending.
"Offending such as this sends ripples throughout our society,'' Justice Gendall said.
It was "devastating'' for his victims, who were "vulnerable in the extreme'', but it was also devastating for parents.
Walmsley's offending "permeates society at many levels''.
"People become less trusting.''
Justice Gendall said Walmsley's offending as a life coach was "brazen, well-planned and it involved extensive grooming''.
"You groomed them all to perform sexually through the promise of things that would not have otherwise been available to them.''
Following a 13-day trial and 16 hours of jury deliberations, Walmsley was found guilty on April 26 on charges of a predominantly sexual nature including: sexual violation by rape (13); sexual conduct with a young person aged between 12 and 16 (9); sexual conduct with a child under 12 (3); and attempted sexual violation by rape (2).
His conviction was a first-strike offence.
Walmsley's family was not in court during sentencing.
His defence counsel, Craig Ruane, said he had not received any instruction to appeal the sentence.
