A Havelock North artist has been sentenced to 100 hours of community work after taking secret, topless photographs of his mother-in-law that he later claimed were freehand drawings.

Aaron John Jenkins, 28, appeared in the Hastings District Court yesterday after pleading guilty to two charges of committing an indecent act with intent to insult and a third of making an intimate visual recording last month.

The artist secretly took topless photographs of his mother-in-law without her knowledge or consent while she was living with him to support his then-pregnant wife.

The images came to light when Jenkins’ marriage deteriorated and he moved out of the familial home, leaving photocopies of the images among possessions he left behind.

He also repeatedly played pornographic movies in front of his mother and sister-in-law while giving them lifts in his car.

The second time this happened to the sister-in-law she plucked up the courage to tell him this was inappropriate and he stopped.

His mother-in-law only admitted the same thing had happened to her after hearing about her daughter’s experiences.

When questioned, Jenkins told police the pictures weren’t photocopies or even based from photographs, but rather images he created in his mind and drew freehand.

Jenkins made headlines as an artist in 2015 after he drew a lifelike image of the former All Black Jerry Collins who died in a car crash in France and then auctioned it on Trade Me to raise money for Collins’ then four-month-old daughter.

Yesterday Judge Tony Adeane sentenced the father of two to 100 hours of community work and nine months supervision; ordering him to take part in any directed restorative justice, counselling or education programmes.

In his submissions, Jenkins’ defence lawyer Cliff Church said his client had already been penalised for the offending after losing both contact with his family and his job of 12 years.

“He tells me that this has been a very stressful and difficult period for him.”

The court heard the defendant accepted he needed to take responsibility with the offending and was now in a new job and trying to make a new life for himself.

“He is ashamed and remorseful for his actions.”