28 March 2007

Computer repair reveals porn

A complaint from a computer repair shop led to a 49-year-old Rotorua father of two being sentenced to four months’ jail for possessing and distributing child sex abuse images.

In the Rotorua District Court (March 28), Judge Phillip Cooper sentenced Grant Thomas Moore, self-employed, to four months’ prison on five charges of distributing an objectionable publication and three months on 12 charges of possession, to be served concurrently. He deferred the penalty to allow Moore to seek home detention.

In sentencing Judge Cooper said he was very aware of the need to denounce and deter such offences.

Internal Affairs’ Deputy Secretary, Keith Manch, said the department’s censorship compliance unit seized Moore’s two computers after a repair shop discovered and complained about sexually explicit child abuse images on one of them.

“The images involved girls ranging in age between eight and 14 years,” Keith Manch said. “We analysed the Internet usage and identified the visiting and downloading of images from two known child pornography websites.

“Offenders should realise that the children featuring in such images are real victims, being abused in order to sustain this distasteful trade.

“New Zealand is committed to international efforts to help prevent the abuse of children and our inspectors are very active in tracking down collectors.”

ENDS

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