16 April 2019
Customs arrests two New Zealanders for child exploitation material
In the past week, Customs has arrested two men in relation to child sexual abuse images. A 44-year-old New Zealand man
appeared in the Nelson District Court on Monday, after a Customs investigation linked him to the online trading of child
sexual abuse publications.
The man faces a number of charges relating to export and distribution offences under the Customs and Excise Act 2018 and
the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993. As a result of the Customs investigation, the man also
faces additional Police charges relating to committing an indecent act and making an objectionable publication.
Customs began the investigation after receiving a tip-off from international sources about the man’s involvement in
sharing child sexual abuse images on a popular social media messaging app. A search warrant was carried out at his home
last week, where further evidence was found resulting in the man’s arrest.
In a separate case, Customs investigators arrested a 26-year-old New Zealand national in Auckland last week, after a
forensic search of his mobile phone located images and video of children being sexually abused.
The 26-year-old man, who lives overseas, first came to Customs’ attention in 2015, after an international referral for
similar offending overseas. When he recently returned to New Zealand for a short holiday, Customs officers questioned
and searched the man.
Customs Operation Manager Investigations Stephen Waugh says the two arrests serve as a warning to offenders that child
sexual exploitation is a serious crime, and that Customs will act, regardless of whether the offending images are
carried physically across the border or traded online across the virtual border.
“Every time child sexual abuse images or videos are downloaded, uploaded or shared online, it contributes to the further
victimisation of the children. This is also true if the objectionable material is taken across the border, when
travelling.
“There is an entire global network dedicated to combatting the unacceptable crime of child exploitation. Here in New
Zealand, Customs works closely with the NZ Police and Internal Affairs to safeguard and rescue victims, while holding
the perpetrators to account.”
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