24-year-old man Kwan Loong Lee was stopped in his tracks at the departure gate, his dreams of escape to China dashed by the long arm of the law.
The man who seduced a naive 13-year-old girl from Nelson into a sordid affair faced the music today in Nelson District Court. He was sentenced to nine months of home detention and branded for life as a registered sex offender.
Lee was known to his young victim and her family as Nicholas spun a web of deceit, luring her into a relationship that lasted two months, until the girl’s vigilant parents caught wind of the scandal. Crown prosecutor, Jeremy Cameron, didn’t mince words, slamming Lee for his cowardly attempt to do a runner.
The heart-wrenching ordeal was laid bare in court, with the victim’s father delivering a tearful testament to the destruction wrought upon his family in a powerful Victim Impact Statement, lamenting the innocence stolen from his daughter by a man they mistakenly trusted. The mother, too, expressed her anguish, mourning the shattered bond with her daughter, a relationship she fears is irreparably damaged.
The sordid tale unfolded after police discovered a whopping 7,093 messages exchanged between Lee and the young girl, revealing a clear awareness of her age and the illegal nature of their encounters. Despite the looming threat of exposure, Lee brazenly continued the affair, culminating in a desperate scramble for the airport when the jig was up.
Defence lawyer Jackie Van Schalkwyk told the court her client was remorseful and had been led astray by a troubled past.
Judge Tony Zohrab condemned Lee’s actions as selfish and had caused incalculable damage on the family.
Lee was also ordered to pay up $3,000 in emotional harm reparation to the family.
