Ice cream vendor traded child sex abuse images; sixth conviction this year

3/02/2004

The Kaikohe District Court has fined a Paihia man a total of $9,000 plus costs on 18 charges of trading or collecting child sex abuse images and electronic movies.

The General Manager of the Department of Internal Affairs’ Gaming and Censorship Regulation Group, Keith Manch, said the man was the sixth New Zealand sentenced in relation to child abuse images this year.

He had images of girls aged from two years to eight being sexually abused by adult men.

“It does not matter if New Zealanders are in rural areas, small towns or cities,” Mr Manch said. “If they continue to trade or collect child sex abuse images, they will eventually be caught.

“The Internet has made trading child sex abuse images possible in a way that was previously inconceivable but offenders also leave a trail that law enforcement agencies can follow.

“We don’t have to have an office in Paihia to follow a trail to there or anywhere else in the country.

“In addition we work closely with the Police and Customs in New Zealand and law enforcement agencies in many other countries. The Internet makes it possible for us to share information just as easily as offenders can.”

This case began in October 2002 when the Department received a complaint that someone believed to be a New Zealander was offering child sex abuse images on the Internet.

The Department investigated, confirmed that it was a New Zealander, tracked him to Paihia and identified him.

A search warrant was executed at his house in November 2002 and a computer was seized. Analysis of the computer revealed two electronic movies and 15 images of children being sexually abused.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Friday January 30. He is a 39-year-old ice cream vendor.