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A Christchurch man has been sentenced to three years and six months in prison following a Customs investigation into the exportation and distribution of child sexual abuse material.
The 35-year-old appeared in the Christchurch District Court today, where he was convicted of making, possessing, distributing, and exporting objectionable material.
The material included depictions of child sexual abuse, hyper-realistic computer-generated abuse, and files showing bestiality, defecation, rape, and torture. He has also been placed on the child sex offender register.
The investigation began in June 2024 after Customs received reports from the US-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The organisation identified a New Zealand man allegedly uploading child sexual abuse material to social media platforms.
Customs investigators from the Child Exploitation Operations Team (CEOT) executed a search warrant at the man’s Christchurch home on 2 July 2024. During the search, they found 1,345 objectionable publications, including over 600 images and videos of real children being sexually abused. A total of 78 electronic devices were seized for forensic examination, uncovering further offending.
Chief Customs Officer Simon Peterson said the case demonstrated the concerning spread of computer-generated and AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery.
“The spread of computer-generated and AI-generated child sexual abuse imagery is of real concern but, as this case shows, it is a crime which Customs takes seriously and that we will investigate and prosecute,” Peterson said. “This man has been held accountable for his crimes and will now spend the next three-and-a-half years in prison.”
Customs encouraged anyone with concerns or suspicions about the trading or production of child sexual abuse material to contact them confidentially on 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. For cases of immediate risk or harm, individuals were urged to contact the Police.
