A Palmerston North man jailed for abducting and indecently assaulting a five-year-old girl committed similar crimes in Australia.

Brendan Henson, 47, appeared in the Palmerston North District Court for sentencing on Friday, having previously admitted three charges relating to the girl over a period of two days in February.

Justice David Collins sentenced him to eight years in prison with a minimum non-parole period of five years. But he will not be subjected to preventive detention.

During the sentencing, Justice Collins warned against any outbursts during his comments.

"Before I go on, I want to make it abundantly clear there will be no outbursts and no disruptions. None."

Shortly afterward, he had a man removed from the court after swearing and kicking the door.

Close members of the victim's family, including her mother and grandmother, were allowed to sit in the jury box directly opposite Henson. Most held tissues and cried during emotive parts of the sentence.

Police say that on February 10, Henson was sitting on a bench at a Palmerston North park near the girl and her sister. He told the girl to sit next to him and when she did, put his hand on her leg. The girl's sister stepped in and both girls ran home.

Henson was captured on CCTV driving his car along Shamrock St after the incident, following behind the girls as they ran home. His car was seen by the same security camera the next morning.

Around 8:20am on February 12, Henson again drove along Shamrock St and saw the girl and her two sisters. He pulled up next to them, opened the passenger door, got out and put her in the car.

In an attempt to save her, the girl's sisters hit and kicked Henson and the car, before he drove off at speed.

He drove out of the city to a rural area where he indecently assaulted the girl, before dropping her off on a street several kilometres from where she was abducted.

Police say Henson didn't explain his actions to them.

Crown prosecutor Ben Vanderkolk says the offending was "highly premeditated and targeted".

Mr Vanderkolk says Henson had no relevant convictions in New Zealand, but had two prior convictions in Western Australia against a girl of a similar age.

He spent one year and three months in prison for that offending.

Justice Collins said there'd been no repeat offending since the crimes in 1984, however, he was concerned about a psychologist report which said there was moderate to high risk of reoffending if the cause is not addressed.

He said Henson had indicated he wanted to take part in rehabilitation programme for child sex offenders.

Mr Vanderkolk says the children's behaviours had changed since the incident.

"Their uncertainty and sense of insecurity about walking around the neighbourhood, around their home, is palpable."

In a victim impact statement was read to the court by a friend, the girls' mother recounted how she felt when her daughter was taken. However, the contents of the statement were suppressed.

Henson's lawyer Fergus Steedman says everyone in the court wished "someone, somehow could turn the clock back".

His client had read the victim impact statement.

"He was shocked. He'd known for months he'd hurt a little girl terribly, but the full impact of the suffering he'd caused so many people seemingly didn't hit him until he'd read what the mother had to say."

Mr Steedman said Henson was resigned to spending "a significant amount of time" in prison.

Newshub.