A 32-year-old Kapiti Coast man has been sentenced to nine years and five months’ imprisonment after a Customs investigation found he possessed and was distributing “extreme” child sexual abuse content.
He was sentenced in the Wellington District Court on Thursday for the “importation, distribution and possession of objectionable material relating to child sexual abuse, and refusing to provide Customs with access to a computer system”.
Customs initially launched an investigation after identifying a New Zealand-based individual was distributing objectionable material using peer-to-peer file-sharing software in February 2023.
On February 21, 2023, Customs carried out a search warrant at his home, seizing five devices.
The man refused five requests from investigators to access these devices, but a forensic examination found objectionable material on one of them and he was arrested on site.
Subsequent analysis found 31,238 objectionable image and video files including “including extreme sexual abuse of pre-pubescent children and infants”.
Chief customs officer in the Child Exploitation Operations Team Simon Peterson said the man had accumulated around 78 days worth of objectionable video content.
“This man was actively importing and distributing child sexual abuse material to others overseas. Much of this material is highly distressing and included some of the worst child sexual abuse content known to law enforcement globally.
“None of this offending is harmless – these are not just bad pictures or videos: they capture real children being horrifically harmed, and the existence of this material continues to cause enduring harm to those victims.”
The man would be re-registered on the child sex offender register.
People with concerns or suspicions about someone who might be trading in or producing child sexual abuse images or videos were urged to confidentially contact Customs on 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
