Tauranga man convicted of possessing more than 8,500 images of children being sexually exploited and abused

A 67-year-old Tauranga man has been sentenced to three months of home detention after appearing in Tauranga District Court.

Following an investigation by Tari Taiwhenua, Department of Home Affairs, the perpetrator pleaded guilty to one representative charge of knowingly possessing objectionable material depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. The perpetrator was given name suppression and did not have to register as a child abuser.

Researchers from the Digital Child Exploitation Team, DIA, opened the investigation after being informed by the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an individual from Aotearoa New Zealand had uploaded 262 images of sexual abuse and exploitation of children to a search engine to find similar illegal material.

A search warrant was subsequently served at the man’s home, where investigators found and seized a laptop for forensic examination. The perpetrator admitted to investigators that he actively sought and collected 8,505 images of child sexual exploitation and abuse between October 2021 and August 2022, most of which depicted children in sexualized poses.

Investigators carried out checks to ensure none of the images were taken by the perpetrator.

Tim Houston, Digital Child Exploitation Team Manager said:

“While this perpetrator claimed he did not want to abuse children, the possession of these horrific images encourages further abuse as every time an image is captured, an innocent child is harmed.”

“The joint effort and collaboration of DIA, New Zealand Police and New Zealand Customs is critical to tackling the spread of child abuse material and protecting children from abuse.”

DIA’s DCET is committed to protecting New Zealanders from online harm by responding to and preventing the spread of child sexual exploitation material online.

In 2023, DCET conducted 47 child exploitation investigations, resulting in the discovery of almost 3 million pieces of illegal material in the possession of New Zealanders. This is in addition to more than 1 million attempts to access websites hosting child sexual abuse material that were blocked by the Digital Child Exploitation Filtering System.

Help and support

We encourage parents and guardians to talk to their Tamariki about their online activities. Advice and support for parents and carers on how to keep their children safe online can be found at KeepItRealOnline.govt.nz.

If you are concerned about something you have seen or would like to report a crime, you can report it to DIA’s Digital Child Exploitation Team. If you know that abuse is currently taking place or that a child is in danger, call the police immediately on 111.

If you are the victim of a child abuse or sexual abuse crime, you can contact:

· https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/child-abuse-directory-information-and-support

· Safe to talk: 0800 044 334 Text 4334

If you are concerned about your own sexual behavior or that of someone else, please contact us for support:

Secure network: 09 377 9898

WellStop: 04 566 4745

STOP: 03 353 0257

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