Jail time reduces market

23 December 2009

The jailing of two child sexual abuse image collectors this week means the market for such objectionable material has been reduced, Internal Affairs Deputy Secretary Keith Manch said today. But inspectors here and overseas will continue to trawl the Internet for offenders throughout the holiday period.

“New Zealand is committed to international efforts to help prevent the abuse of children and our inspectors are very active in tracking down collectors of pictures showing this abuse,” Keith Manch said. “We are part of an international team working to catch such offenders and our inspectors are on the job at all hours. If you deal in this material you can expect to get caught.”

On Monday in Dunedin, a 45-year-old truck driver was jailed for three and a half years on 22 charges involving the possession, distribution and making of objectionable publications and attempted sexual grooming of a 15-year-old girl. In Christchurch District Court today a 37-year-old computer programmer, was jailed for 14 months by Judge Michael Crosbie when he appeared for sentence on 17 charges of possessing objectionable publications.

Keith Manch said the Department seized computer equipment from the programmer last February and found over 7100 objectionable files ranging from young girls posing through to the sexual abuse of toddlers. In June 2009, while serving a summons for this offending, inspectors learned he had a new computer which contained four objectionable files and a computer game involving the rape of a schoolgirl and sexual violence. He had also attached a USB drive with child sexual exploitation material to the computer.

“Despite the use of encryption and the apparent destruction of the USB drive our inspectors were able to gather evidence of his offending,” Keith Manch said. “No matter what’s done, everything’s traceable on your computer.”
Also sentenced today on one charge of distribution and nine charges of possessing objectionable image files was a 31-year-old unemployed cook of Christchurch. Judge Crosbie sentenced him to six months’ home detention.

Keith Manch said the man used a home network to “hide” material in an unusual location known by the defendant.

“Again through the expertise of our censorship team we were able to establish what he did,” Keith Manch said.

Media contact:
Keith Manch, Deputy Secretary, Department of Internal Affairs
Ph 04 495 9329; cell 021 227 6363
Trevor Henry, communications adviser, Department of Internal Affairs
Ph 04 495 7211; cell 0275 843 679