Child porn man wins bid to keep name secret

A Manawatu man guilty of possessing images of child rape has won a bid to keep his name secret to protect his family members. File photo / NZ Herald

The Court of Appeal has ruled a Manawatu man guilty of possessing images of child rape should have his name kept secret to protect his family members.

The man, 50, who admitted 21 charges of possessing objectionable material, was sentenced to six months' home detention and fined $5250 at the end of last year.

The 100 pictures, videos and text files on his computer showed children as young as 18 months involved in sexual acts, including rape. The text files contained descriptions of bestiality, incest and pack rapes of children.

Palmerston North District Court judge Alistair Garland originally declined to suppress his name but the man appealed, arguing the negative consequences to his family would outweigh the public interest in his name being published.

In their decision, released today, the Court of Appeal judges agreed and said Judge Garland was "plainly wrong" in not considering the man's family and that publishing his name would lead to "incalculable hurt" to them.

The man was also assessed as a low to medium risk of reoffending.

In February last year another Manawatu man, described as "prominent", was granted permanent name suppression after he was found with more than 300,000 pornographic images, many of children. Name suppression was granted to protect his family, his mental state, his wife's job and his ability to rehabilitate.

- NZPA