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A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to five years and four months imprisonment for indecent communications, distributing objectionable material, and threatening to commit a mass stabbing attack, following a joint investigation by the Department of Internal Affairs and New Zealand Police.
The Hastings-based man was granted interim name suppression, having previously pled guilty to 13 charges at the Napier District Court related to the indecent communications, objectionable material, and threatening to commit a mass stabbing attack when appearing at his sentencing today, December 17.
A search of the offender’s home on August 20, 2024, led to the seizure of two electronic devices, which contained over 2300 sexual abuse and exploitation images, including images and videos of child sexual abuse, bestiality and necrophilia, as well as terrorist and violent extremism content. Further investigation identified several of his victims, including a child under the age of 16, whom he had solicited for sexually explicit images.
On September 28, 2024, the Department received an alert from the FBI that he planned to commit a mass stabbing attack on his court date. Two-bladed weapons were subsequently found in his bedroom by police, including a bayonet, which he said would be used in the attack.
A manifesto was also found detailing how he had been radicalised at the age of 19.
The offender claims he was active within several violent online groups. These groups target children, the LGBTQ+ community and other vulnerable groups, enticing them to share nude images and engage in self-harm, later using the material as leverage for extortion.
Protecting vulnerable groups has been a keen focus for law enforcement, with the New Zealand Police releasing public warning notices urging parents and young people to be alert when online.
Detective Inspector James Keene, of Eastern District Police, says this sentencing shows a commitment by New Zealand and overseas agencies to work effectively together to reduce this level of harmful activity.
“This individual preyed on the innocence of children by distributing horrific child abuse and exploitation images online, including personally requesting explicit images from a teenager.
“Any threats of mass harm, such as in this case, are always of concern to police, which is why we moved quickly to arrest this man and sought to detain him in custody.”
“This investigation demonstrates the dedication of our investigators and partner agencies in stopping offenders from committing serious acts of harm against innocent victims, both online and in the real world,” says Jared Mullen, General Manager, Digital Safety and Investigations.
As part of his sentence, the judge ordered that he be registered as a child sex offender and the devices used during his offending to be destroyed.
Help and support
- Parents and caregivers are encouraged to talk to their tamariki/children about their online activities. Advice and support for parents and caregivers about how they can keep their children safe online can be found at KeepItRealOnline.govt.nz.
- In a non-emergency situation, you can provide a report to police by calling 105 or filing an online report: www.police.govt.nz/use-105#online-report-options
- If you know abuse is happening right now or a child is at risk, call police immediately on 111.
- If you are concerned about something you have seen or want to report objectionable content, please report it to the Digital Child Exploitation Team and the Digital Violent Extremism Team at DIA.
If you are the victim of a child abuse or sexual abuse crime, you can contact:
- www.kidshealth.org.nz/child-abuse-directory-information-and-support
- Safe to Talk: 0800 044 334 Text 4334
If you are concerned about your own or someone else’s sexual behaviour, please reach out for support:
- Safe Network: 09 377 9898
- WellStop: 04 566 4745
- STOP: 03 353 0257
- Stand Strong, Walk Tall
