A Dunedin man convicted of two separate sex offences remains unable to fully explain his actions, a parole hearing revealed last month. Curtis Marc Everett, 28, was sentenced in 2023 to five years and eight months in prison after admitting to raping one woman and engaging in unlawful sexual connection with another.

At the recent hearing held at the Otago Corrections Facility, the Parole Board expressed ongoing concerns about Everett’s apparent minimization of his crimes. Panel convener Carolina Tiumalu noted that Everett referred to his offences as merely “two poor decisions” and maintained that he does not pose a risk to other women.

Everett’s offending came to light in two separate incidents. In 2019, a woman reported to police that Everett had sexually assaulted her after she had taken sleeping pills, but authorities decided there was insufficient evidence to proceed with prosecution. The case resurfaced in 2022 when a second woman reported a sexual attack. Court documents revealed that Everett had been socializing at the second victim’s home when she awoke to him violating her. The day after the assault, Everett sent the victim a series of messages on social media, including one in which he wrote: “Next time I do something like that stop me an not let me continue cause I’m not one to rape girls” (sic).

During the hearing, Everett acknowledged his understanding of consent but had not completed any sex offender treatment while in custody. He attributed his offending to the influence of substances, stating that during the first incident he was under the effects of alcohol, LSD, and MDMA, which he said “may have heightened his sex drive.” For the second offence, he reported using methamphetamine. While he has completed alcohol and drug therapy programs in prison, the Parole Board noted that no further treatment for sex offending was available to him due to specific eligibility criteria, service limitations, and the absence of identified treatment needs.

Everett told the board he planned to abstain from drugs and alcohol upon release. However, Tiumalu observed that his statements to a prison psychologist contradicted this, as Everett had indicated he intended only to reduce his substance intake rather than cease use entirely.

Another point of concern for the board was Everett’s desire to return to Dunedin after release, the same community where his victims reside. The Parole Board has scheduled his next review for June 2027.