PAC: NZ man jailed for child porn, cruel neglect of daughter
By David Clarkson27 Feb 2009 1:00 PM
EDS: Graphic content
CHRISTCHURCH, Feb 27 NZPA - A 55-year-old New Zealand man pleaded guilty in Christchurch District Court on Friday to 12 charges of possessing objectionable images, and was found guilty of cruelty by neglecting his daughter.
The 11-year-old was found with lice-infested hair, unkempt clothes and living in bad conditions at his home when the police raided the property and seized the man's computers.
Judge Colin Doherty told the man on Friday: "The saddest part of your conduct to you has been the loss of your child.
"The saddest part to her is maybe the loss of her childhood, and her need to be rehabilitated."
The man was jailed for one year nine months after Judge Doherty said, "I don't think this is an appropriate case for consideration of home detention at all".
He suppressed the man's name, but only so that there would be no different or detrimental treatment of the daughter by people who knew her.
"It's not for your benefit, but for hers."
Judge Doherty also took the unusual step -- with the consent of the crown and the police -- of releasing one of the victim impact statements to the media at court.
In this case, one of the child victims depicted in the pornographic images had been traced by investigators and the police were able to provide a report on her.
It was made available to NZPA after all references to her name and the name of her Cambodian village had been blocked out.
The images of the girl -- among 1000 images of child abuse or torture found on the man's computer -- had been made by a Canadian offender who went to the village and conducted the activity there.
He had since been caught and dealt with by the overseas authorities.
Judge Doherty described the girl's victim impact statement as "chilling".
He said New Zealand Parliament had increased the available sentences to prevent and avoid the degradation and exploitation of young people.
"It is often said that if people like you who want to view it were not about, perhaps the exploitation would not take place."
The judge had not seen the images that the man had been viewing, but he cited some of the descriptions: A female school student being raped by her teacher; a pre-pubescent girl being raped by an adult male; a child being forced to perform oral sex on an adult male; children being forced to perform indecent acts on other children; an image showing the torture of an adult woman who was tied up.
"The descriptions give me a sense of the degradation that each of the victims have undergone," the judge said.
Judge Doherty said he had received reports on the man's daughter from Child, Youth, and Family and from the family now caring for the girl.
"She was in a parlous physical state. She had infestations of head lice, very unhealthy hair and skin, clothes in poor condition, and her living conditions were not the best to put it mildly.
"I expect her emotional development has been truncated by the way in which she was living with you."
"You knew what was required but you didn't care. You were reckless as to her welfare needs."
