'Hard line' call as man jailed for child abuse images

A Man has been jailed for possessing child abuse images.

The courts need to take a hard line against people who possess and distribute child sex abuse images to prevent more children being targeted, a Whangarei judge told a man jailed for having objectionable material on his computer.

Carl Turner was caught as part of an international operation targeting those who shared child abuse images online.

During sentencing at the Whangarei District Court on Friday, Judge Duncan Harvey said unless courts took a hard line against such people more children would be abused for profit.

He made the comments while sending Turner, 30, to jail for possessing thousands of images of children from the ages of 5 to early teenagers being sexually abused.

Turner had pleaded guilty to 20 charges of possessing objectionable material.

He was sentenced to 14 months in prison and Judge Harvey ordered objectionable material that was seized to be destroyed.

Judge Harvey said that in May 2013 police in Ontario, Canada arrested a man for possessing and distributing objectionable material online.

Turner was identified through that investigation and a warrant was issued for a Whangarei home he occupied on August 22 last year, where numerous items were seized.

Thousands of images of children as young as 6 and 7 were seized from Turner's laptop.

Defence lawyer Arthur Fairley said Turner acknowledged his guilt and was remorseful.

Judge Harvey said the victims were truly vulnerable.

"They were being used in the most dreadful way for profit, although you didn't personally gain but helped those that did."

"The message has to get through that unless courts take a hard line against such offending, more children will be abused for profit."