Northland Man Sentenced to 2.5 Years for Child Exploitation

A man from Northland has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for possessing child sexual exploitation and bestiality material. The 52-year-old, whose identity has not been disclosed, was sentenced on March 15, 2024, after admitting to a “morbid fascination” that led him to view such material for approximately 20 years.

The sentencing took place at the Whangārei District Court, following a thorough investigation by the Department of Internal Affairs‘ digital child exploitation team. The man pleaded guilty to one representative charge of possessing objectionable material that depicted the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.

During a search warrant executed at his residence on May 21, 2022, authorities discovered over 3,000 objectionable images and videos stored on hard drives within his computer. The material involved victims of various ages, including infants and children under the age of 16.

As part of his sentence, the man will be registered as a child sex offender, and all electronic devices utilized in the commission of his offenses will be destroyed.

Tim Houston, manager of the digital child exploitation team, emphasized the ongoing harm caused by such offenses, stating, “Every time an offender shares or accesses an image or video of child abuse, they are continuing the abuse of that child and exacerbating the threat of child sexual exploitation.”

The digital child exploitation team has been active in addressing these crimes, conducting 69 investigations into child exploitation cases last year. Their efforts resulted in the safeguarding of 14 New Zealand children from potential harm. Additionally, the Digital Child Exploitation Filtering System successfully blocked more than one million attempts to access websites hosting child sexual abuse material.

The case highlights the ongoing challenges authorities face in combating child exploitation and the importance of continued vigilance in protecting vulnerable individuals from such crimes.