Child pornography trader who denied all, then absconded, sentenced to 18 months jail

The sentencing of a man today in the Christchurch District Court to 18 months imprisonment is a warning to child pornography traders that the Department of Internal Affairs will search for them if they try to run from court action.

The General Manager of the Department’s Gaming and Censorship Regulation Group, Keith Manch, said that in May 1999 the person in question denied ever running the software that was used to trade child pornography on his computer and all knowledge of the files on the computer.

Analysis of the computer revealed the child pornography files, showed that an “Fserve” programme had been used to trade child pornography for more than two years, and linked the information back to the man.

The material found depicted children aged from two or three years to 13 years, and included rape, sexual violence and sexual poses. The computer contained 48 objectionable videos and 357 objectionable pictures, and also showed that he had created two objectionable webpages.

In addition, a videotape was found that included home-video footage of two young boys asleep at his flat. The tape showed the cameraman pulling down the trousers and underpants of one of the boys.

When confronted with the evidence at a second interview, he admitted making one of the webpages and the video, and admitted an interest in material featuring sexual exploitation of young boys.

However, he continued to deny knowledge of the child pornography on his computer, making the second webpage and operating the Fserve. He blamed them on people who had visited his flat and on his flatmate.

At that time he lived in Mosgiel were the offending had occurred, and he was summonsed to appear in the Dunedin District Court on 31 July 2000. He did not appear and the Court then issued a warrant for his arrest.

“The Department and Police worked together,” Mr Manch said, “and the man was eventually found in Christchurch.

“He was arrested last month on the Court warrant and pleaded guilty to 33 charges of trading and possession of child pornography.

“It does not matter how long people try to run from court action. We will not close the prosecution file and we will work with other agencies to find them and bring them to trial.”

In sentencing him, Judge Noble said that he had taken into account that he had traded child pornography for an extended period of two years.

The man has prior convictions including, indecent assault on a boy aged under 16 in 1984, several drugs offences and car conversion.

Media contact:
Keith Manch Telephone 04 495-9449 Cellular 027 445-6420
General Manager Gaming and Censorship Regulation
Vincent Cholewa Telephone 04 495 9350 Cellular 025 272 4270
Communications Advisor