A 39-year-old Auckland man has been arrested after he allegedly uploaded and distributed child sexual abuse material online.
The man, who was arrested on Friday, faces eight charges including possession of an objectionable publication, and knowingly exporting and distributing an objectionable publication.
The charges carry a maximum of 10 to 14 years in prison if the man is found guilty.
The arrest comes after an investigation by the Customs Child Exploitation Operations Team (CEOT) and was launched after international reports about the uploading of 98 objectional publications involving the sexual abuse of children.
Customs was tipped off about the alleged illegal activity by an overseas social media chat platform and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
The NCMEC, a US-based NGO, had been contacted by an online cloud-sharing service.
Acting chief Customs officer of CEOT Peter Thompson also acknowledged the assistance of the police in the efforts to track down the offender, as well as support from overseas.
"The dedication of Customs CEOT specialists, and our work with the police and the Department of Internal Affairs, as well as our network of intelligence and investigations sources across the world, gives us a broad and powerful reach to track down and prosecute those who deal in the sexual exploitation of children."
SHARE ME