Sex tour accused to face trial in October

File photo / NZ Herald

An Auckland man charged with organising and promoting child sex tours to southeast Asia will not have his trial until October.

A trial date of October 31 was set at a High Court callover today for the 46-year-old hotel and property manager.

He faces three charges - organising and promoting child sex tours, publishing information promoting child sex tours and dealing with people under the age of 18 for sexual exploitation.

He has had name suppression since he first appeared in court in August. One of the arguments given was that naming him would affect his employer.

Name suppression was continued when he appeared today but it will be argued again at a callover on March 9.

The man was arrested after police swooped on addresses in Remuera and Mangere following an eight month undercover investigation.

The operation was co-ordinated by the Police Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand (Oceanz) unit, a specialist team set up last year as part of a global task force focused on online child sexual exploitation.

He was arrested shortly before he was due to leave the country for Thailand.

Police said it was the first time a charge of organising a child sex tour had been laid against an individual in New Zealand.

The man's trial is expected to last at least five days.

- NZPA