The Department of Internal Affairs

Department of Internal Affairs | Te Tari Taiwhenua

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40-year-old offender admits to distributing child sexual exploitation material


19 June 2026

Papamoa man, Michael John Gray-Kippax, has been sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprisonment in the Tauranga District Court today after pleading guilty to 18 charges relating to the possession and distribution of objectionable material, including images depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.

The sentence follows an investigation by the Department of Internal Affairs’ Digital Child Exploitation Team (DCET), which began after an Australian law enforcement agency notified authorities that the man had emailed a link containing 216 objectionable files to an Investigator.

Further enquiries by DCET connected Gray-Kippax to additional offending, including online material reported by the United States-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), dating back to 2016.

On 18 September 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at the offender’s home. He cooperated with officers and provided access to his email account, where DCET investigators located more than a decade of communications linked to the possession and distribution of child sexual exploitation and abuse material.

“No single agency or country can tackle this issue alone. By collaborating closely with overseas partners, we’re able to connect intelligence, act faster, and disrupt networks that operate across jurisdictions,” Tim Houston, Manager Digital Child Exploitation Team, says.

“New Zealanders can be assured that we are working closely with trusted international partners to tackle this harm wherever it occurs and protect children both here and overseas.”

The Judge ordered the destruction of the devices which Gray-Kippax used to commit these crimes, and he was required to register as a child sex offender.

In 2025, the Digital Child Exploitation team conducted 52 search warrants for offences relating to online child sexual exploitation and helped to safeguard 24 New Zealand children from harm. Additionally, the Digital Child Exploitation Filtering System blocked close to 700,000 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