Jail for collector with more than 4,500 child sex abuse images, case highlights trend in such offending

8/4/2005

The Palmerston North District Court today sentenced a Palmerston North man, to 10 months jail on a total of 21 charges of collecting and distributing electronic pictures and movies of children being sexually abused.

Judge Gregory Ross lifted a name suppression order and ordered forfeiture and destruction of his computer system and computer disks. Judge Ross gave him leave to apply for home detention but did not defer the start of the jail sentence.

The Director of the Department of Internal Affairs’ Gaming and Censorship Regulation Group, Keith Manch, said that the man had amassed a collection of more than 4,500 pictures and movies of child sexual abuse. These included images of baby girls aged between 18 months and two years being sexually abused by adult men.

Mr Manch said that this illustrated the trend in such offending.

“While the statistics we have do not show that more New Zealanders are offending, the evidence we gather shows a tragic change in the images.

“The victims are becoming younger and the levels of violence and kinds of abuse inflicted are becoming worse.

“The accused's collection was extensive but by no means the largest we have encountered. Sexual abuse of babies is appallingly sad but it is also no longer uncommon for our Inspectors to find pictures and movies of it.

“The children are real and so is the abuse and suffering inflicted on them.

“Offending like this encourage more abuse. Collectors demand more images and more extreme images.

“When they distribute images from their collections they spread the false message that sex with children is acceptable.

“The Department’s actions are not about pictures on a computer. They are part of New Zealand’s commitment to help protect children from abuse.”

This case began in July 2003 when a Canadian organisation detected a New Zealander offering to distribute child sex abuse images on the Internet. He was using what is known as a “peer-to-peer” application.

Information was subsequently provided to the Department, which investigated and was able to identify the New Zealander y and track him to his home in Palmerston North.

Department Inspectors and Police executed a search warrant on his house in February 2004. The Inspectors seized a computer and 35 CD ROMs.

Analysis of the computer and disks showed the history of his Internet use and the more than 4,500 movies and pictures. It showed he had been collecting child sex abuse images since September 2001.

The Department filed eight charges relating to alleged distribution of child sex abuse images and 13 relating to possession. He pleaded not guilty but after preliminary hearings changed his plea to guilty on all charges. He is a 34-year-old beneficiary.



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