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

 

Child protection agency applauds NZ Police

Press Release

Child protection agency applauds NZ Police

A 49-year-old man in Ireland who offered to show a live film on the internet of himself having sex with a 13 year old boy was caught after Irish law enforcement received a tip-off from police in Britain and New Zealand.

The sex offender, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victims, was caught downloading child porn when his house was raided.

Alan Bell from ECPAT Child ALERT applauds this international collaboration. “This is a great example of law enforcement agencies working together to bring offenders to justice. The New Zealand Police, Internal Affairs and Customs all have specialised forensic units not only monitoring illegal child sex abuse images in New Zealand but are also contributing to this global online exploitation of children. The Internet knows no borders and it is imperative that this crime is attacked both nationally and internationally” says Bell.

More than 50 images were recovered of the boy's abuse, which occurred at the man's house following a period of "grooming".

They police also recovered more than 50,000 other child pornography images and 3,000 video files from the man's computer equipment.

He had recorded his sexual abuse of the boy and distributed images through the internet using a programme to connect with others of a similar inclination. The offender had been promising another user he would have sex with the boy live on camera. He also pleaded guilty to possession and distribution of child pornography related to an image of a five-year-old boy.

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.

He had categorised his online collection of child pornography images into several "levels", which he then shared with others based on the level of the images they shared with him.

Det Sgt Tom Mahon said that prior to the sexual abuse there was a period of "grooming" while the boy was aged between 12 and 13.

ECPAT states “These are not just virtual images. They are images of real children being abused – often very young and often filmed live to meet a customer’s perverted preferences. In this case the images were being traded and used as a form of currency. In other words the child victims were being bought and sold as commodities with their own face value. Law enforcement forensic technology in New Zealand is among the world’s best but to prevent this crime our whole society must become aware and ensure our children are adequately protected from the predators.”

The New Zealand Police had infiltrated a forum where people were exchanging child pornography and passed their information about the Irish offender on to Ireland authourities.

The man pleaded guilty to sample counts of production and distribution of child pornography, sexual exploitation of a minor, sexual assault, rape and attempted rape of the teenage boy. Mr Justice Carney imposed a 12-year sentence.

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.