For persistent child sexual abuse involving two victims over several years with an early guilty plea and no prior convictions, the appropriate total effective sentence range is approximately 9 to 12 years' imprisonment with a non-parole period of 6 to 9 years. A discount of approximately 15% for an early guilty plea is seriously inadequate; the discount should be significantly greater, particularly on utilitarian grounds. Prosecutors have a duty to assist sentencing judges on totality and sentencing range, and should consider using s 47A persistent sexual abuse charges rather than overloaded multi-count presentments.
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