A Wānaka man caught with more than 80,000 child porn images on his computer claimed he was collecting the material to report it to authorities.
Cops say the defendant, aged in his 50s, used an online file-sharing platform to download the material between January 29 and May 7 last year.
When his home was searched on May 16, police seized a laptop from his bedroom on which was found about 80,000 photos and 1300 videos of child porn.
About 500 images and 1200 movies were classified under UK sentencing guidelines as being of the worst type of material, including penetrative sexual activity, sadism and bestiality.
The defendant, who has permanent name suppression, denied the allegations for two months before admitting three charges of possessing objectionable publications (child sexual exploitation).
He told police he knew it was wrong, but ‘‘became obsessed and couldn’t control my actions’’.
However, earlier this year he changed his story.
The man claimed he’d been working to ‘‘infiltrate and sabotage’’ the distribution of child porn on the dark web.
Summarising those claims at his sentencing in Queenstown’s court this week, Judge Russell Walker said the man had ‘‘stumbled across’’ child pornography and been ‘‘appalled’’ by what he saw.
He’d undertaken research in order to prepare a comprehensive report for authorities on how to combat it.
The work was ‘‘righteous and necessary’’, and none of the material he downloaded was for his personal sexual gratification.
That explanation, which the defendant hadn’t given to police after his arrest, was ‘‘fanciful’’, Walker said.
A forensic analyst couldn’t find any evidence of the claims, such as documents detailing sources of child porn, an internet search history about agencies combating child porn, or correspondence with such organisations.
A psychologist’s report said he’d reached ‘‘breaking point’’ as a result of loneliness, work and family stress, and turned to booze and child porn to escape reality.
Walker told the defendant the material found in his possession was ‘‘vile’’, and men like him caused immense suffering to the victims.
‘‘Your actions have helped to fuel the abhorrent international demand for such material.’’
From a starting point of three years’ prison, he applied discounts for the defendant’s lack of previous convictions, guilty plea and personal circumstances to come to a term of 23 months behind bars.
He converted that to a final sentence of 12 months’ home detention at a Queenstown address.
The psychology report concluded the defendant was unlikely to pose a risk to the sexual safety of children, so Walker didn’t consider it necessary to put him on the child sex offender register.
Walker granted the defendant’s application for permanent name suppression only for the benefit of his adult child, who ‘‘should not have their reputation tarnished in any way by your wrongdoing’’
‘He wasn’t dealing coke’
A Queenstown plasterer caught with more than $20,000 of cocaine in his flat has avoided prison.
When police searched the home of Lochie Short on November 22, they found a total of 51.33g of cocaine in various drawers in the 24-year-old’s bedroom, digital scales and unused ‘‘point bags’’ for packaging the drug.
Next to a jar containing $160 cash was a handwritten note saying: ‘‘Some cash for coke. Be safe, love you.’’
He told cops the drugs were his, he was addicted and needed help.
At Short’s sentencing in Queenstown’s court this week on a charge of possessing cocaine for supply, counsel Megan Waller said he’d undergone a ‘‘mind shift’’ since his arrest, focusing on his business, relationship and fitness.
He’s been having addiction counselling since the beginning of the year.
She sought a sentence of community detention on the grounds home detention would jeopardise his ‘‘thriving’’ plastering business.
A significant amount of the drugs had been for his personal use, and there was no indication of financial gain, Waller said.
Walker said that claim was making a ‘‘fine distinction’’, as his friends had made deposits in his bank account which he used for groceries and fuel.
Under New Zealand criminal law, anyone found with more than 0.5g of cocaine is presumed to be dealing.
The amount found in Short’s flat, which he estimated was worth $22,000 on the street, was ‘‘many, many times that’’.
From a starting point of 30 month’s prison, Walker ultimately sentenced Short to eight months’ home detention, to be served at a Frankton address.
