Tauranga man caught with child sex abuse images and videos gets house arrest

The charges relate to the possession of 374 images and videos depicting “horrific and extreme” sexual abuse and exploitation of young children and babies, said Tim Houston, manager of the Department of Internal Affairs’ Digital Child Exploitation Team.

He said the man’s crimes came to light after a European law enforcement agency alerted the team in May last year to a New Zealand person who had claimed online that he had sexually abused a child and had access to child sexual abuse material.

Following an investigation, the man’s home was searched in June last year and electronic devices were seized, including two mobile phones.

According to Houston, a forensic examination of one of the phones yielded 374 indecent images and videos.

He said the perpetrator had made a full confession and that none of the images were taken by him.

According to Houston, children were re-victimized over and over again when images of their abuse were distributed, shared or viewed.

“Material relating to child sexual exploitation depicts real children being harmed in real life, and these images depict a real crime scene.”

He said the Digital Child Exploitation Team conducted 47 child exploitation investigations last year, resulting in the discovery of almost 3 million pieces of illegal material in the possession of New Zealanders.

According to Houston, there were also more than 1 million attempts to access websites containing child abuse material that were blocked by the digital child abuse filtering system.

The team was determined to protect New Zealanders from such crimes and prevent the spread of child abuse material online, he said.

Houston encouraged parents and caregivers to talk to their children about their online activities, and said there is online advice and support on how to keep their tamariki safe at KeepItRealOnline.govt.nz.

Sexual Abuse: Where Can You Get Help?

If there is an emergency and you think you or someone else is in danger, call 111.

If you have ever experienced sexual abuse or assault and would like to talk to someone, you can contact Safe to Talk confidentially at any time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

You can also contact your local police station. Click here for a list.

Are you a victim of sexual abuse? Remember that it is not your fault.

Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist with the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 24 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, but also general news. She is a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.