The Department of Internal Affairs

Department of Internal Affairs | Te Tari Taiwhenua

Building a safe, prosperous and respected nation



 

Tokoroa man jailed for four years for distributing illegal child sex abuse material


13 April 2026

Tokoroa man, River Nathanile Foster, has been sentenced to four years and 11 months imprisonment for possession and distribution of objectionable material, which included images and videos depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of young children and animals. His imprisonment follows an investigation by the Department of Internal Affairs’ Digital Child Exploitation team.

The 30-year-old appeared for sentencing in Tokoroa District Court on Friday 10 April 2026, after pleading to 15 representative charges for his distribution of over 8000 objectionable images and videos.

Among the material were files depicting severe child exploitation, including bestiality-related abuse and content involving infants.

Foster was also detected re-offending while already under investigation by the Digital Child Exploitation team. This prosecution reflects the two enforcement actions taken in response to his continued offending.

Investigators also found objectionable computer-generated imagery in Foster's possession, a type of content that is becoming increasingly common among offenders, some of which had been shared with 12 other users.

“Computer-generated objectionable content is not a loophole, it is illegal and harmful. Distributing it to others, as happened here, fuels an ecosystem of exploitation and is deeply concerning,” Tim Houston, Manager Digital Child Exploitation Team, says.

An investigation into Foster was launched after the Department received referrals from the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which indicated that he had uploaded child sex abuse files onto an online platform. Subsequently, a search warrant was carried out at his residential address in September 2024, where his device was seized for forensic examination.

As part of Foster’s sentence, he will be registered as a child sex offender and all devices used during the offending will be destroyed.

In 2024, the Digital Child Exploitation team conducted 69 investigations into child exploitation and helped to safeguard 14 New Zealand children from harm. Additionally, the Digital Child Exploitation Filtering System blocked over one million attempts to access websites hosting child sexual abuse material.

ENDS

Support and Resources
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to engage with their tamariki about safe online practices. Guidance on protecting children online is available at KeepItRealOnline.govt.nz.
If you have concerns about potential online harm or wish to report a crime, contact the Digital Child Exploitation Team at DIA. For situations where abuse is occurring or a child is in immediate danger, contact the Police at 111.

If you are concerned about your own or someone else’s sexual behaviour, please reach out for support:  Notes for media:
DIA uses the term child sexual abuse imagery (PDF, 625KB). The term child pornography downplays the harm of child sexual abuse

For more information on the role of the Digital Child Exploitation Team, what is online child sexual exploitation and how to report it visit https://www.dia.govt.nz/Preventing-Online-Child-Sexual-Exploitation

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