A Wellington man has been sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of possessing child sexual abuse material, many of them involving babies and toddlers.
Shay Joseph Middleton, 32, must also forfeit all devices and will be placed on the Child Sex Offender register after being sentenced today in the Wellington District Court.
"Any sexual offending against children is disturbing but, by sharing videos and photos of the offending, the victim is re-victimised every time this material is shared online," Department of Internal Affairs Digital Child Exploitation Team manager Tim Houston said today in a statement.
"Offenders need to know that they will be found and held accountable for their offending, which is not only an offence against children, but an offence against our values as a society."
Today's sentencing marks Middleton’s second conviction for possession of child exploitation material. He was first convicted in 2013 and was sentenced to one year of intensive supervision community work.
Anyone concerned they may have seen something objectionable or wish to report a crime can contact the Digital Child Exploitation team at dcet@dia.govt.nz.
If you are the victim of a child abuse crime
Child Abuse - Directory for information and support
Safe to Talk - 0800 044 334 Text 4334
If you are concerned about someone else’s sexual behaviour, you should contact organisations including:
Safe Network - 09 377 9898
WellStop - 04 566 4745
STOP - 03 353 0257
Or local treatment providers, or specialist therapists.
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