Auckland man who groped women in cinemas can now be revealed

Photos of the "family man" who spent hours trawling darkened Auckland cinemas, where he inappropriately touched women, can now be revealed. 

Attul Kumar Patel was sentenced on November 13 to five months' home detention for one count of indecent assault.

It was his third conviction for indecent assault.

However, High Court Justice Christian Whata made a court order prohibiting media from using photographs of Patel until now.

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The November sentencing followed an incident at the Westgate cinema in northwest Auckland on July 22.

Patel had walked past several empty seats and sat next to the victim, who was watching a film with her sister.

He slid his right hand under the victim's  buttocks.

She was startled by your actions," Justice Whata said in court.

"She asked what you were doing. She told you to move. You eventually moved one seat from the complainant."

Justice Whata said the victim could not step inside a cinema since the incident. 

"It has affected her outlook on life and made her very mistrustful of people," he said. 

The court heard how Patel told police he had an issue with anxiety, could not control his hands and did not know why he sat next to the victim.

In a pre-sentencing report, psychologist Dr Ian Goodwin said Patel's behaviour was driven by OCD and he had strong compulsions to touch other people.

However, Goodwin said Patel's risk of offending was low if medicated.

Patel's defence lawyer John Anderson said a $500 emotional harm payment would be offered to the victim. 

Anderson also submitted to the court that medication Patel was taking was helping to stop the offending. 

The Auckland man was supported by his wife, Monita, in court in November.

The court heard that Monita had said Patel's offending was not driven by sexual deviancy and he had a history of abuse and neglect.

Justice Whata said despite the low level of offending which was a "fleeting touch to the buttocks", it was highly distressing for the victim.

"Your offending is not at all acceptable," Justice Whata said. 

"The best place for you is at home. You can focus on getting well and address your needs."

Justice Whata ordered Patel to continue to receive treatment for his OCD and anxiety after completing his home detention. 

He also issued Patel his second strike under the three strikes law.

"I want to stress to you in simple terms, Mr Patel, if you do this again you will be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of seven years," Justice Whata said. 

SNEAKING AROUND CINEMAS

In 2014, Patel, an accountant from Flat Bush, lurked around Event Cinemas in Henderson, waiting until staff were preoccupied before sneaking into the theatre area without paying. 

Though the cinema was nearly empty, he picked a spot next to a 13-year-old girl as the lights were dimmed.

Ignoring her younger brother seated next to her, Patel began rubbing her bare thigh.

The girl tried to ignore him and moved her leg away but the offender persisted, "hissing" at her to try and attract her attention.

Over the next four hours, CCTV footage showed him moving between several screenings, some in which he stayed for seconds, others for half an hour.

Police released photos of the man after the teenager reported the incident and Patel eventually handed himself in when a friend alerted his attention to media reports. 

A 23-year-old woman then came forward and told police she was also targeted and picked Patel out of photo booklet of potential offenders.

The 23-year-old victim had been at St Lukes cinema with her fiancé when Patel sat next to her and rubbed her thigh for two minutes, gradually getting higher up her leg before she moved seats.

At Patel's sentencing in 2014, his lawyer at the time, David Reece said the offending was "anxiety-related" and he had started cognitive behavioural therapy. 

Judge David Mather said in 2014 that Patel was unlikely to repeat the offending but there were worrying elements of premeditation. 

"Spending hours at the cinema without the normal intention of watching any movies clearly gives cause for concern," Judge Mather said. 

In 2014, Patel was sentenced to 230 hours of community work, 18 months intensive supervision and ordered to pay $400 to each victim and $35 to Event Cinemas for the movies he could have watched.