A 35-year-old Rotorua man was today sentenced in the Rotorua District Court to seven-years-three-months’ imprisonment on representative charges of importation and possession of objectionable material.

Customs detected the man sharing child sexual exploitation material over the internet using peer-to-peer software on his computer. Further enquiries established he lived in Rotorua.

In February 2023, Customs investigators conducted a search warrant at the man’s home. Onsite forensic screening identified image and video files of children being sexually abused, resulting in his arrest for the importation and possession of objectionable material.

Chief Customs Officer - Child Exploitation Operations Team, Simon Peterson, says Customs evidence uncovered the man had been downloading files of child sexual abuse for over a year.

“This man was ultimately found to have over 50,000 image and video files of child sexual abuse stored on his devices and he had imported or downloaded almost 12,000 of the files.

“The large majority of this material shows actual children being sexually abused, in some cases very violently. The importing or exporting of child abuse material for one’s own gratification is unacceptable. Customs takes this type of offending very seriously.

“Customs is one of three agencies in New Zealand who pursue these offenders, working closely with our partners in Police and the Department of Internal Affairs to identify, investigate and arrest those who propagate the vicious cycle of harm by sharing this type of material,” Mr Peterson said.

If you have concerns or suspicions about someone who may be trading in, or producing child sexual abuse images or videos, contact Customs confidentially on 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

If you are, or know of, someone who is at risk or being abused, contact the Police immediately.

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