Rotorua man jailed over child sex abuse records

A 35-year-old Rotorua man was today sentenced to seven years and three months in prison in the Rotorua District Court for importing and possessing indecent material.

Customs discovered the man was sharing child pornography material over the internet using peer-to-peer software on his computer. Further investigation revealed he lived in Rotorua.

In February 2023, customs officers executed a search warrant at the man’s home. Forensic examination at the scene identified image and video files of children being sexually abused, resulting in his arrest for importing and possessing indecent material.

Simon Peterson, head of the Customs Child Abuse Unit, said evidence from Customs showed the man had been downloading child sexual abuse files for more than a year.

“It eventually emerged that this man had stored over 50,000 child sexual abuse image and video files on his devices and that he had imported or downloaded nearly 12,000 of the files.

“The vast majority of this material depicts actual children being sexually abused, in some cases very violently. Importing or exporting child abuse material for personal gratification is unacceptable. Customs takes these types of offences very seriously.

“Customs is one of three agencies in New Zealand that prosecutes these offenders. We work closely with our partners in the police and the Department of Home Affairs to identify, investigate and arrest those who perpetuate the cycle of harm by sharing this type of material,” Peterson said.

If you have any concerns or suspicions about someone who is trading in or producing child abuse images or videos, please contact Customs confidentially on 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you are or know someone who is at risk of being abused, please contact the police immediately.

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