Pensioner jailed for 25,000 images of child sex abuse

File photo / NZ Herald

An Auckland pensioner has been jailed for trading and possessing more than 25,000 images and videos of child sex abuse.

Geoffrey Paul Healy, 66, was today sentenced to two years and five months' in prison on 48 sample charges of downloading, supplying and distributing, and possessing electronic images and videos of young children being sexually abused.

Forensic examination of Healy's electronic devices revealed he had more than 25,000 still images and 1060 movies, some of which he had attempted to delete, the New Zealand Customs Service said.

The saved images were in folders for easy viewing or trading, and many showed "the worst scale of abuse", Customs said.

Emails conversations in which Healy discussed and joked about the abuse in detail, and asked for particular types of images, were also discovered by Customs.

In a statement issued to media today, Customs said it became aware in January 2014 that Healy was downloading and trading objectionable material. His city apartment was searched and his electronics taken for forensic analysis.

Healy was in hospital at the time, and the phone he had with him held more images, Customs said.

"These are images of young children and babies suffering sexual violation and horrific abuse. People who view or trade such images contribute to their continued abuse, and need to be prosecuted," Maurice O'Brien, Customs Manager Investigations, said.

"There's no one type of offender. They vary in age, occupation and social status. They commit crimes in the privacy of their homes or on their cell phones. They hide behind anonymity online. But they don't offer the same anonymity to their victims."

The Objectionable Publications and Indecency legislation that received Royal Assent earlier this month and becomes effective on May 7, will double maximum penalties for importing or exporting objectionable material to 10 years under Customs legislation.