A 49-year-old man who allegedly offered young people under 16 gift vouchers online in exchange for sex was arrested after he travelled to Auckland Domain to allegedly meet a 14-year-old girl yesterday, police say.
The arrest is part of an investigation into allegations of child exploitation and came following reports from a concerned parent.
Operation Dash involves the Auckland City Child Exploitation Team, alongside OCEANZ, Police Northern Digital Forensic Team, and the Department of Internal Affairs Digital Child Exploitation Team.
Detective Sergeant Rick Veacock said that police received information earlier this week to suggest a male was allegedly making approaches to "a number of" young persons under the age of 16 online.
"It is alleged the male was contacting these victims, through social media, and offering to buy them gift vouchers in exchange for sexual activity."
The investigation team identified the person believed to be responsible and he was apprehended on Thursday.
The Auckland City Child Exploitation Team works permanently alongside the Department of Internal Affairs Digital Child Exploitation in its office, said DIA manager Tim Houston.
"This cohabitation means investigators can act swiftly to operation responses, leading to outcomes like this that benefit the safety of Aotearoa."
Veacock said police would like to thank the person who reported the man to them in the first place.
"The timely reporting of this incident allowed Police to identify the alleged offender and make an arrest within a matter of days.
"We are asking our parents and caregivers to please listen to their intuition, know what their children are doing online, and don't hesitate to contact authorities if they have any concerns."
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