Tip off from the public leads to prison for viewer of child sex abuse images

16/02/2007

The Department of Internal Affairs has a member of the public to thank for the sentencing of a Gisborne man to 10 months in prison for possessing sexual abuse images of boys and girls ranging from babies to 10 years.

A 59-year-old man was sentenced in the Wellington District Court today on 20 charges of possessing objectionable material. He was granted leave to apply for home detention.

Judge Rushton said that the images viewed by the man were at the top end of the scale and covered the full ambit of sexual activity with young children.

His offences were detected when the Department of Internal Affairs received information from a member of the public in July last year.

His computer was seized under a search warrant by Department of Internal Affairs Censorship Inspectors. Evidence was found that 1,045 pictures of children being sexually abused had been downloaded and viewed.

Department of Internal Affairs Deputy Secretary Keith Manch said the Department is always grateful for information from the public. “It is not a breach of privacy law to report a possible crime to a law enforcement agency.

“If you find information about child sex abuse images and you report that, then you are acting responsibly and helping protect children from abuse. There have been cases where information our inspectors have uncovered has led to the rescue of child sex abuse victims overseas.”

Media Contact:
Keith Manch, Deputy Secretary, Department of Internal Affairs
Ph 04 495 9329; cell 021 227 6363

Ronnie Anderson, communications adviser, Department of Internal Affairs
Ph 04 494 0570; cell 0274 719 464