Media Release 11 November 2011
Man guilty of organising child sex tour
A 47-year-old motel and property owner has been found guilty of organising a child sex tour to Thailand but not guilty
of promoting such tours.
Today’s decision was delivered at the Auckland High Court by Justice Wylie.
They were the first such charges to be laid under laws that took effect 16 years ago.
Stop Demand’s founder Denise Ritchie, who was the key petitioner to the law reform in 1995, sat through the trial and
attended today’s verdict.
“The guilty verdict was very pleasing,” says Denise Ritchie. “It serves as a warning to anyone who might take steps to facilitate the sexual exploitation of children overseas. Such
persons can expect to find themselves on the police radar, caught and prosecuted.”
Stop Demand commends the Police, in particular the OCEANZ (Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand) team, and the
prosecution team, for their hard work and resolve in pursuing this landmark case.
”The public should be heartened by the fact that our Police are strongly committed to cracking down on the sexual
exploitation of children by New Zealanders, whether here or abroad,” says Denise Ritchie.
The offender was refused bail and will appear for sentencing on February 14, 2012.
ENDS