Former Northland lawyer jailed for sharing child sexual exploitation material

Northland lawyer Vaughn Clement Hill has been jailed for possessing child sex abuse images. Photo / Supplied

WARNING: This article deals with child exploitation and may be upsetting to some readers.

A former Northland lawyer has been jailed for sharing exploitative images of children being sexually abused.

Customs arrested Vaughn Clement Hill, 45, in September 2023 after a search warrant at his Kāitaia home during which electronic devices were seized.

According to a Customs statement, forensics specialists established he had shared child sexual abuse material on social media, which included depictions of bestiality, rape and torture.

Hill had also been engaging in chat room conversations about sexually abusing children.

Yesterday, he appeared in Whangārei District Court for sentencing on eight charges of possession, export and distribution of objectionable material.

He was jailed for two years and six months and placed on the child sex offender register.

Hill was previously the co-director of a general practice law firm for which he specialised in conveyancing, wills, enduring powers of attorney and small business transactions.

His contract with the firm was terminated in November last year and he is not currently listed in the New Zealand Law Society’s registry.

His offending was discovered after Customs received a referral from the United States-based National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) after an overseas-based social media platform alleged a New Zealander had exported objectionable publications to their platform.

Chief customs officer of the child exploitation operations team, Simon Peterson, said possessing and sharing child sexual abuse material is not a victimless crime as it creates demand and encourages others to commit abuse, putting children in danger.

“This man was viewing violent and damaging abuse being inflicted on real children, including infants, with scant regard for the pain and trauma being caused to the victims and their families.

“Identifying, arresting and bringing to justice those who pose a sexual threat to children is a top priority for Customs.

“Working with our partners at Police, Department of Internal Affairs and overseas, we will fight these crimes where they occur - online, at our border, and in our communities.”

The statement said anyone with concerns or suspicions someone may be trading in, or producing child sexual abuse images or videos, should contact Customs confidentially at 0800 WE PROTECT (0800 937 768) or Crimestoppers anonymously at 0800 555 111.

Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.