‘He made me feel disgusting’

Rolf Harris will be sentenced later today with legal experts suggesting he could be jailed up to a decade.

'He was getting away with a lot' ... Rolf Harris, with his wife Alwen and daughter Bindi, leave court on Monday after he was found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault. He will be sentenced tonight. Source: AP

ROLF Harris left his house by boat today with family members beside him before being sentenced for a number of sexual assaults on young girls.

Harris was seen boarding the boat shortly before 7am on the River Thames behind his house in Bray, Berkshire.

He was accompanied by his daughter Bindi, whose best friend was one of the victims.

His wife Alwen Hughes, who supported him throughout the trial, was not to be seen.

As he arrived at Southwark Crown Court in London by car at 9.30am local time, he walked in while his niece Jenny held on to his hand.

Final steps as a free man ... Artist and television personality Rolf Harris arrives at Southwark Crown Court to face sentencing on 12 counts of indecent assault. Picture: Tristan Fewings Source: Getty Images

He was half an hour early and came with a suitcase.

The court was packed to overflowing and bystanders were refused entry.

Harris reportedly showed no emotion as he sat down in the dock, listening to proceedings on a hearing loop headset.

The Crown began by reading out victim impact statements.

Some of the details from the statements picked up by reporters in the courtroom and posted on Twitter include victims saying how their lives have been changed forever because of what Harris did.

One of them said: "he made me feel dirty, grubby and disgusting".

The defence then spoke of how Harris has "two sides", and pointed out one of them is a "good side".

The pointed out his long history of how he helped children and others in the community with charity work and more.

His wfie's medical records have also been submitted, as it is Harris's biggest concern.

Holding hands ... Artist and television personality Rolf Harris arrives at Southwark Crown Court. Picture: Oli Scarff/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

The judge heard submissions on the former star's behalf on mitigation regarding his age and health.

Justice Sweeney will also take into account the psychological impact of the assaults on the Australian's four victims.

On the way to court ... Rolf Harris avoids reporters by travelling by boat as he faces jail. Picture: ITV/Twitter Source: Supplied

Hours before Harris's sentencing, a New Zealand politician and former broadcaster has said the shamed TV star tried to grope her.

Maggie Barry today branded the Australian entertainer a "sleazy creep" with "wandering hands", saying he touched her inappropriately while they were preparing for an interview in the 1980s.

The Nationals MP told said she became aware of the two faces of the pedophile when she was working in on a regional station, while aged in her mid-20s, in Palmerston North.

Harris was a sleazy creep ... MP Maggie Barry resisted the TV pervert. Source: Supplied

She lined up an interview with Harris, who was touring the country, expecting a light-hearted encounter in keeping with his affable public persona.

"(But) in the pre-record situation, when you're testing the microphones and all the rest of it, he suddenly started with the wandering hands and groping," she told Radio New Zealand.

"When he put his hand on my leg I said 'you can stop that right now' and I stood up and said 'you're a sleazy creep'".

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Ms Barry, who was working for radio station 2ZA, also said Harris leaned into her.

After she stood up for herself, Harris got nasty.

"(He went from) the 'hail fellow well met' that we were used to watching on Sunday night on the telly with mum and dad into being this guy who snapped at me."

Two-faced deviant ... Rolf Harris with his self portrait at the National Portrait Gallery in 2008. The gallery has removed the painting from view since the star's perverted secrets were revealed. Source: Supplied

His demeanour became "slit-eyed and shirty", but when the microphone went on he reverted to a pleasant persona, she told RadioLive in another interview.

He even called her "a couple of names" before "the publicist came in and smoothed things over."

Ms Barry said she got the impression that Harris was not often challenged.

Ms Barry said she never reported the incident because it was "on the absolute minor end of the scale" of the abuses committed by Harris and she had largely forgotten about it until his trial began.

But she said it showed Harris thought he could act with impunity because of his fame and the situation could have been far more serious if he had molested someone who was younger or more vulnerable and not willing to stand up to him.

'He started with the wandering hands and groping' ... Maggie Barry is urging young people to report inappropiate behaviour. Source: Supplied

"It seemed that he was pretty confident and arrogant if he thought he could try it on with someone like me," she said.

"When you look back with hindsight, seems that even 30 years ago he had been getting away with a lot."

She has been talking to young people and telling them not to be afraid to step forward and say so when inappropriate behaviour occurs.

Harris's youngest victim was just seven or eight years old when she was abused in the late 1960s at a community centre near Portsmouth.

Harris made his name on the BBC over 60 years, hosting shows for children, animal lovers and art fans.

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