Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Offenders should not hide behind name suppression

Offenders should not hide behind name suppression

According to the New Zealand Herald a prominent Waikato businessman caught sharing child porn with an undercover investigator in an online chatroom is now fighting to keep his identity secret.

The company director yesterday admitted a raft of child porn charges - including distributing objectionable images - after sharing computer files and passwords with the Department of Internal Affairs investigator.

A sentencing-indication hearing at Tauranga District Court yesterday heard how the man had turned to pornography to assist sexual difficulties, which led to an addiction.

He viewed the material both at work and on a personal laptop computer while his wife, who was unaware of her husband's secret activities, was not present.

Alan Bell, Director of child protection agency ECPAT Child ALERT says “Unless the safety of a child needs protecting there is no case for name suppression for those who choose to flout the law and support the illegal child sex abuse industry. This person knew he was doing wrong and hid his actions. He should have thought about the consequences before he offended.”

Judge Rollo said “I don't believe any right-minded person anywhere on our planet would condone this sort of offending and what was involved in the production of these images. It would be described as universally wrong by any right-minded person."

“The defence argued that revealing the offenders identity might have a significant impact on his business” states Bell. “But what about the impact on the victims? Should this not be the paramount consideration? Children depicted on these illegal child pornography sites are real and often very young. Those who access them only serve to increase the demand and the need for more victims to be abused and exposed on the Internet.”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Judge Rollo allowed interim suppression to continue and is expected to release a written decision before the man's sentencing in March.

Bell says “This case should send a message to other people considering accessing illegal child sex abuse sites. The Department of Internal Affairs and the Police are vigilant, highly skilled and dedicated to track these people down and prosecute them. Offenders should expect no favours and should be prepared to have their acts made public.”

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.