OCEANZ congratulated for paedophile bust

The Police's Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand (OCEANZ) team is being congratulated by Sensible Sentencing Trust for crushing a paedophile ring which was allegedly operating in New Zealand and overseas and which has saved numerous children from further abuse.

Ross Crosby the founder and spokesperson for the Sensible Sentencing Trust's

Predator Awareness Campaign says this is a delightful outcome. "Thanks to the awesome work done by our Police more of these foul deviants are being brought to account. This is not like a drug bust, sexual exploitation of children is far more emotional and far more abhorrent and our Courts need to come down very hard on these types of offenders to deter this type of offending and send a message that society will not tolerate it," Mr Crosby said.

One of the offenders involved with the paedophile ring is 41 year old Aaron

John Ellmers, a serial paedophile and serious sexual predator, who pleaded guilty in Hastings District Court to over 60 charges involving paedophilia on Tuesday. Ellmers has been remanded for sentencing in the Napier High Court in three months' time. The Crown is seeking a sentence of preventive detention. It is reported Ellmers had a previous conviction for molesting an eight-year-old in Australia and was deported back to New Zealand in 2008.

"Our thoughts are with the victims of these appalling crimes. Far too often children's lives are being destroyed as result of sexual abuse. It is also too often the focus is on the rights of the perpetrator, not the rights of the victim. While our Police are doing a fantastic job the government must do more to protect children from sexual exploitation by ensuring adequate sentences are handed down”

ENDS

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