A PASTOR has been jailed for nine years after being found guilty of rape and indecent assault.
The High Court in Suva yesterday sentenced Taitusi Gonedau after convicting him on one count of rape and one of indecent assault.
The court heard the incident occurred while Gonedau was in the process of counselling a woman last January.
It heard the woman was married and the pastor was also married with four children.
Reading out the facts, High Court judge Justice Paul Madigan said the woman had gone to the pastor to seek marital counselling.
She asked him if she could sleep over at his residence because of her problems.
While in the house, the court heard the pastor touched her while she was in the kitchen on the first night and raped her on the second. Justice Madigan said the pastor had breached the trust of the woman who had sought his assistance as a church leader.
Gonedau was jailed for nine years for rape and three years for indecent assault.
However, the court lowered his sentence to nine years with the sentences running concurrently.
Gonedau will be eligible for parole after seven years.