The Church of Latter-day Saints knew its Sunday School teacher Raphael Caccioppoli had a history of sexual offending against boys but didn’t tell police because it did not think it legally had to.
Neither did the Mormon hierarchy tell the parents of the children he was left to supervise on his own.
Instead, it excommunicated the Justice Ministry judicial officer following a church court hearing in June last year.
Police become aware of his offending only after a tip-off from one of his associates in September.
Caccioppoli, 36, admitted 13 charges when he appeared in the Invercargill District Court on Friday, including five of committing indecent acts on a boy under 12 and a further three on two other victims aged between 12 and 16.
He was also convicted of one charge of sexual violation, one of indecent assault and two charges of assault.
He also admitted an indecent act with a bull mastiff dog.
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