A Warkworth man who possessed nearly 8000 objectionable files and distributed more than 1000 child sexual abuse images has been sentenced to 12 months home detention.
Regan Highfield, 25, appeared in the North Shore District Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to 21 charges of distributing objectionable material, which included images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.
The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) Digital Child Exploitation Team opened an investigation after receiving a report from an international law enforcement agency which indicated Highfield had been sharing links containing child sexual exploitation material through an online chat.
A search warrant at his address on May 14, 2024, led to the seizure and destruction of several electronic devices. Examination of these devices identified that Highfield possessed 7853 objectionable files and had shared 1053 child sexual abuse images to 12 other offenders.
DIA digital child exploitation team manager Tim Houston said they were committed to finding and prosecuting individuals to prevent the further revictimisation of children.
“Offenders who possess and knowingly share this material present a risk to both online and offline communities,” he said.
“These aren’t just images on a phone or laptop, these are real children in real scenarios – it’s important we reduce the accessibility of this material as much as we can. Anyone who accesses this material generates a demand for others to create this horrific content.”
In addition to home detention, Highfield will be registered as a child sex offender with the devices used as part of his offending to be destroyed.
In 2024, the Digital Child Exploitation team conducted 69 investigations into child exploitation and helped to safeguard 14 New Zealand children from harm.
Additionally, the Digital Child Exploitation Filtering System blocked over one million attempts to access websites hosting child sexual abuse material.
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