Auckland man, 22, sentenced to 10 months home detention for the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material

12 December 2022

An Auckland man who contributed to the sexual exploitation of children has been sentenced to 10 months home detention in the North Shore District Court today after being found guilty on four representative charges relating to the possession and distribution of objectionable material depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.

Brandon Michael Walker, 22, from Auckland was charged after investigators from the Department’s Digital Child Exploitation Team discovered over 1000 videos and still images of child sexual abuse stored on online accounts operated by him.

Tim Houston, Manager of the DIA Digital Child Exploitation Team, stated,

"If you are viewing and sharing these images, you are complicit in the sexual abuse of children and the lifelong damage it causes.

"DIA, NZ Police and the NZ Customs Service work tirelessly together to ensure children are not re-victimised by those seeking to derive sickening gratification from their suffering".

Walker is required to forfeit devices used to facilitate his offending.

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,
Safe to Talk: 0800 044 334 Text 4334

Or local treatment providers, or specialist therapists.

The Department of Internal Affairs uses the term child sexual abuse imagery (PDF, 730KB). The term child pornography downplays the harm of child sexual abuse.

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Media contact:
Te Tari Taiwhenua | Department of Internal Affairs
Media phone | +64 27 535 8639 |media@dia.govt.nz