Auckland Man Arrested For Child Sex Tours

Auckland Man Arrested For Organising And Promoting Child Sex Tours

Today Police swooped on addresses in Remuera and Mangere arresting a 46-year-old Auckland motel and property manager believed to be involved in the child sex tourism industry.

The arrest follows an eight month investigation into the man’s activities by Police and Customs. He will face charges including organising and promoting child sex tours to South East Asia, and dealing in children for sexual exploitation.

“This is a very disturbing event. Those involved with the investigation and arrest of this man are to be congratulated,” says Alan Bell, National Director of ECPAT Child Alert – an organisation committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation of children in New Zealand. “One can only hope that the New Zealand clients who were willing to pay for tours with the express purpose of purchasing sex with children overseas will also be taken to task.”

The operation was coordinated by the Police OCEANZ unit (Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand), a specialist team set up last year as part of a global taskforce to proactively work to prevent online child sexual exploitation. The unit is working closely with other agencies and international partners to identify and track offenders involved in the online sexual exploitation of children in New Zealand and overseas. “New Zealander’s who think they can travel abroad to commit these horrendous offences against children can expect to be targeted and arrested,” says OCEANZ head detective, Senior Sergeant John-Paul Michael.

This is the first time a charge of organising a child sex tour has been laid against an individual in New Zealand. “Tourists seem to think they can behave in this despicable manner in someone else’s country rather than run the risk in New Zealand. They do not seem to realise that New Zealand law extends beyond local borders and that offenders can be prosecuted under the law of extra-territoriality either in the country of residence or in the country where the offence takes place” says Alan Bell of ECPAT.

ENDS