Former Act Party president Tim Jago admits fresh historical sex abuse charge

Former Act Party president Tim Jago has admitted to further sexual offending.

The Herald confirmed today Jago has now pleaded guilty to one charge of sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.

He is due to be sentenced in the Auckland District Court on the historical charge on Thursday.

An indecency charge he was facing is not being pursued at this stage.

Both charges were laid last year.

Jago’s lawyer, Ian Brookie, declined to comment on his behalf.

In August 2024, the disgraced former Act Party president was separately found guilty by a jury of the indecent assault of two teenage boys he mentored through a sports club during the 1990s.

The former political heavyweight was sentenced to two-and-a-half years’ imprisonment and unsuccessfully appealed both his sentence and convictions.

He had argued that some of the charges should not have been considered and that the judge’s directions to the jury were inadequate.

Katie Harris is an Auckland-based journalist who covers issues such as sexual assault, workplace misconduct, media, crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2020.