Leo Darin Goodwin appearing via AVL at the Christchurch District Court. Photo: Peter Meecham/The Press
Warning: This story discusses sexual violence.
A man who police believe was approaching Christchurch schoolgirls while on a preventive detention order for sexual violence has appeared in court.
Leo Darin Goodwin is accused of approaching teenagers under the age of 16 in breach of the conditions of the order
The 53-year-old appeared via audio-visual link at the Christchurch District Court on Wednesday, where he was remanded in custody until his next appearance on 3 October.
Police said girls were asked for inappropriate favours in exchange for money and sent letters to 11 schools as part of their inquiries.
Goodwin has multiple convictions for violence and rape against women, dating back to the 1990s.
He was sentenced to preventive detention in 2006 at the High Court at Hamilton after being convicted of charges of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, abduction for sexual intercourse and threatening to kill a 15-year-old girl.
Goodwin's previous criminal offending was revealed at the time, including a sentence of 12 years for sexual violation by rape and three years for aggravated wounding.
In 1994 he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment in Australia for threatening with a weapon with intent to have sexual intercourse.
He was also sentenced for threatening to inflict actual bodily harm with an offensive weapon.
Justice Cooper said Goodwin was released on parole on 15 September 2004, but offended again three months later.
A pre-sentence report found he had a "high risk of serious violent sexual re-offending".
Justice Cooper sentenced Goodwin to preventive detention because he was satisfied that Goodwin was likely to re-offend if released.
Corrections said the man was granted parole in March 2023.
Police were first notified on 4 August 2025 of a man approaching school girls in the Merivale and St Albans area.
Several other approaches had since been reported, and a letter was then sent to several schools in the area alerting them to the offending.
Police announced on 26 August that a man had been arrested after reports of students being approached by a "suspicious person".
Corrections and the Parole Board confirmed that Goodwin had been recalled to prison under an interim application.
Where to get help:
Sexual Violence
- NZ Police.
- Victim Support 0800 842 846.
- Rape Crisis: 0800 88 33 00.
- Rape Prevention Education.
- Empowerment Trust.
- HELP (Auckland): 09 623 1700, (Wellington): 04 801 6655.
- Safe to talk: 0800 044 334.
- Tautoko Tāne Male Survivors Aotearoa.
- Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) 022 344 0496.
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