A Christchurch man dubbed the Port Hills Groper has been sentenced to 300 hours of community work and 12 months supervision.
The 64-year-old Middle Eastern refugee grabbed, groped and licked women running alone in the Port Hills.
He blamed his offending on a misunderstanding of cultural differences.
In a victim impact statement one woman told the court the offender was a predator, not a frail, old man, and she wanted him named and shamed for his behaviour.
However, Judge Jane Farish granted permanent name suppression due to the cultural complexities that would result if his name was published.
She ordered Probation and Immigration New Zealand to work together to rehabilitate him.