A carpet cleaner caught in a Target TV show sting committing an indecent act at a customer's house has been sentenced to community work and intensive supervision, but his name will be kept secret.

The man appeared before Judge Anna Johns at the Manukau District Court this afternoon where he was sentenced to 100 hours of community work and 12 months intensive supervision. He will also undergo rehabilitative treatment.



Judge Johns continued name suppression on the basis that identifying the man would cause him "extreme hardship" as he suffers from a "major depressive disorder".

She said if his name was made public he and his family would suffer "extreme hardship". The man has two young children.



In July the 37-year-old pleaded guilty to charges of burglary and wilfully accessing a computer without authority.



In the episode of Target, which screened in May, a carpet cleaning firm was employed to clean a filthy lounge floor and a red wine stain in the master bedroom as part of its weekly hidden camera trial.



Target's footage showed the man going through the homeowner's chest of drawers before examining her laundry basket and sniffing several items of clothing.



He was then seen apparently taking a perfume bottle to the master bedroom and sprayed on a pair of underwear.



He then appeared to turn on the household computer and view pornography while masturbating into the underwear.



The man was seen to delete the internet browsing history and return the underwear to the laundry basket, before completing the carpet job and leaving.



Target did not name the company involved and the man was fired.



Judge Johns said today the man had a low risk of reoffending and she was "confident it would be the first and last time" he appeared in court.

"You have expressed your remorse and are undergoing counselling to assist you with your disorder," she said.

"You are willing to do anything to ensure your behaviour is not repetitive."