Hastings man sentenced to three and half years for child sexual exploitation material

17 November 2022

A Hastings man has been sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment in the Hastings District Court yesterday, after pleading guilty to two representative charges related to the possession and distribution of objectionable material depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.

Erueti Tamatea, 24, from Hastings was charged after 30,000 child sexual exploitation and abuse files were found on his devices and cloud-based accounts. He was also heavily involved in chatting with and sharing cloud links containing child sexual exploitation material with other offenders.

Tim Houston, Manager Digital Child Exploitation Team Department of Internal Affairs, welcomed the guilty plea,

“The Internet has led to an increase in the trade and collection of child sexual abuse images because it allows offenders to connect with one another and exchange exploitative material often in high volumes. New Zealanders can rest assured those who choose to trade child sexual abuse material will eventually be caught.”

Houston stated that significant inter-agency effort is put into combating the trade of child sexual abuse material because each time an image is created a child is harmed.

“The concerted effort and cooperation of DIA, NZ Police and NZ Customs is critical to tackling the proliferation of child abuse material and protecting children from abuse.”

“Possessing and trading these images encourages further abuse. Offenders want to expand their collections and so more children are abused”.

Tamatea is required to register as a child sex offender. He will be required to forfeit devices and be added to the Child Sexual Offenders Register.

If you are concerned that something you have seen may be objectionable or want to report a crime, you can report it to the Digital Child Exploitation Team at DIA.

If you are the victim of a child abuse or sexual abuse crime,

Child Abuse: Directory for information and support
Safe to Talk: 0800 044 334 Text 4334

If you are concerned about your own activity online or someone else’s sexual behaviour, you should contact organisations such as,

Safe Network: 09 377 9898
WellStop: 04 566 4745
STOP: 03 353 0257
Or local treatment providers, or specialist therapists.

The Department of Internal Affairs uses the term child sexual abuse imagery. The term child pornography downplays the harm of child sexual abuse.

-ENDS-

Media Contact:
Media Desk - Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs
Mobile: +64 27 535 8639
Email: media@dia.govt.nz