Child porn trading frequent in NZ

  • Breaking
  • 17/02/2011

By Deanna Harris

New Zealanders are not aware of the degree of child sexual exploitation in their own community according to an international prevention group.

Alan Bell, Director of ECPAT Child ALERT says even though New Zealand authorities rank among the best in the world, residents do not seem to understand that children are still being abused in our neighbourhoods.

“People need to understand that the images are of real children who feel the pain and suffer the trauma for a lifetime,” he said.

Child pornography is a multi-million dollar business where children are traded as commodities. It is closely linked to child prostitution and child trafficking for sexual purposes.

The warning echoes that of Crown prosecutor Kathy Basire who said the courts are seeing a new type of offender during the sentencing of a former teacher for possession of objectionable material in Christchurch yesterday.

"General deterrence doesn't seem to be working. The type of person getting caught by the police net is not what you would normally consider criminal. It would seem to be rife throughout the community," she said.

Judge David Saunders said the "naming and shaming" of offenders had a real deterrent effect in these cases, rather than the prospect of terms of imprisonment.

This was said during the court appearance of a 40-year-old married man who had previously worked as a high school teacher in Canterbury but who now worked as a cleaner.

He had admitted three charges of possession of objectionable material after Department of Internal Affairs inspectors searched his home following information provided by inspectors overseas.

Judge Saunders ordered the man to undergo two years intensive supervision, during which time he will take part in the Stop Adult Programme, a programme which provides treatment to men who have committed acts of sexual abuse. He will not have access to a computer system on-line unless under the direct supervision of a responsible adult who knows about his offending.

He was also given four months' community detention. The curfew hours were delayed one night a week so that he could continue his work at a church.

Another teacher pleaded guilty to 15 charges of possessing objectionable images on his computer in a different Christchurch District Court on the same day.

Neil Stephen Frayle, 66, took his computer in for repairs in June, but the technician working on it noticed the documents and informed the police.

The court was told 1771 images were found on the computer, including bestiality, rape, and underage sex.

He has been remanded on bail for sentencing on April 19 and police have asked for an order for destruction of the material.

Meanwhile, New Zealand Customs Service Comptroller, Martyn Dunne has also warned that the trading of child sexual abuse material is happening in every part of society.

“Our communities need to be educated that the online movement and trading of child sexual abuse material is regularly happening throughout all corners of our society. The worrying aspect of this activity is that it is not a victimless crime, it is increasing in volume, numbers of offenders, and seriousness of content”, he said.

He made the statement following the arrest of a 52-year-old New Zealand man who has been charged after being found to have accessed and downloaded over 6,300 child sexual abuse images.

Mr Dunne said this is a concerning find but Customs will continue to investigate these types of people and their behaviour.

“Our officers are experienced in looking out for these offenders and although they may think they are conducting this activity in their own home, it is illegal and will not be tolerated.”

ECPAT Child ALERT is a registered charitable trust working to prevent the sexual exploitation of children.

An estimated 20 percent of all pornography traded over the Internet is child pornography, and since 1997, the number of child pornography images available on the Internet has increased by 1500 percent, according to ECPAT.

According to the Prostitution Law Reform Review Committee Report 2008, there are approximately 200 children involved in prostitution in New Zealand.

3 News

source: newshub archive