Repeat porn offender jailed

Graeme Murray Purvis has been jailed for three and a half years on 22 charges. File photo / Herald on Sunday

A joint operation involving the Department of Internal Affairs and the Victoria police sexual crimes squad resulted in a Dunedin repeat porn offender being jailed for three and a half years today.

Graeme Murray Purvis, 45, truck driver, was sentenced in Dunedin District Court today on 22 charges involving the possession, distribution and making of objectionable publications and attempted sexual grooming of a 15-year-old girl.

The Department prosecuted Purvis in 2002 on similar offences, for which he was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment.

Judge Paul Kellar directed that Purvis serve at least 21 months in prison, noting he had refused to accept responsibility for his offending, shown no insight, and was not interested in rehabilitative programme or counselling.

Crown counsel, Richard Smith, told the court the recidivist nature of Purvis's offending warranted a minimum period in prison to hold him accountable for the harm he had caused and to protect the community.

Purvis sent objectionable movies to an undercover officer, who was posing as a 14-year-old girl, and engaged in the sexual grooming of a vulnerable 15-year-old girl via text messages.

Internal Affairs deputy secretary Keith Manch said Melbourne police's internet child exploitation team told the department's censorship compliance unit in August 2008 that a New Zealander had been supplying child sexual abuse material.

The department identified Purvis as the culprit about the same time that Dunedin police investigated him following a separate complaint about objectionable images on his computer.

Mr Manch said the sentence was a reminder to all offenders how seriously society viewed the exploitation and abuse of children in furthering this trade.

"Those who use the internet to trade images of child abuse or to groom children for other sexual offences should understand that enforcement agencies around the world are cooperating to find them and stop them," he said.

"The department appreciates this international co-operation in tracking down those who perpetuate this despicable industry.

" We are talking about defenceless young children being forced into degrading and dehumanising sexual conduct for the gratification of people who collect and view the results of these assaults."

Mr Manch said it was disappointing that Purvis refused treatment through the Kia Marama sexual offending programme.

"The department always encourages offenders to seek help at the earliest opportunity. Participating in such programmes aids their rehabilitation and helps them appreciate the effects of their offending on the victims."

- NZPA