Fiji-Indian origin man who raped strict Hindu family girls in Auckland jailed

AUCKLAND - The rape victims, who came forward to help police arrest a Fiji-Indian-origin serial sex-offender despite their strict Hindu backgrounds, were lauded by Auckland High Court Justice John Priestley.

A Fiji-Indian origin man who raped and blackmailed several young women after taking advantage of their strict South Asian upbringing will spend at least 10 years in jail.

Junior Ranga Sami Pillai, 25, was sentenced to 19-1/2 years in jail, with a minimum non-parole period of 10 years, at the High Court in Auckland on Wednesday for 48 charges.

They included 13 charges of rape, 11 charges of unlawful sexual connection, one charge of attempted sexual violation, one charge of sexual connection with a young person, three charges of unlawful detention with the intention of sexual connection, 13 charges of blackmail and six of obtaining by deception, Stuff.co.nz reports.

Most victims were between the age of 15 and 22, while one was a 12-year-old. All were of South Asian ethnic origin, mostly Indian from strict Hindu families, the report says.

Pillai contacted many of his victims via the internet and from there manipulated them into having sex with him while threatening to tell their parents.

Pillai was found guilty of 22 charges following a trial in the middle of last year. He admitted five other charges at the beginning of that trial, the paper says.

Two other trials were pending but they were subsequently called off after he admitted 21 other charges, it adds. (ANI)