18 Nov 2016

Farmer handed four years, nine months for abusing boys

2:43 pm on 18 November 2016

Police say a former Northland farmer convicted of sexually abusing boys might have molested other children, and they'd like to hear from them.

Exterior signage at the Manukau District Court

Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Bruce Anderson, 58, was sentenced in Manukau District Court this morning to four years and nine months in prison, after admitting to three representative and two specific charges that he abused two boys in the early 1990s.

Anderson lived in the Northland town of Tinopai at the time, where he worked as a dairy farmer. The boys were aged 11 and 13 at the time.

Counties Manukau Police Detective Inspector Gary Lendrum said there was reason to believe Anderson had more victims.

He said people may not know there is no time limit for reporting a sexual crime.

Anderson moved to Auckland about 1994 and worked on the North Shore and Papakura.

Mr Lendrum said contacting police did not automatically mean a court case, and at the very least police could see that any of other Anderson's victims receive counselling.