A school teacher has been arrested at Auckland Airport after NZ Customs says child sexual abuse images and videos were found on his phone.
The man, 40, appeared in Manukau District Court this afternoon charged with importing and possessing objectionable publications.
He was returning to New Zealand after a one-year sabbatical in the United Kingdom and was met by customs officials at the airport.
His phone was searched and "numerous images and videos depicting child sexual abuse" were located, customs says.
He's been under investigation since late last year after a "tip-off from overseas law enforcement partners".
Investigations manager Bruce Berry says they have a dedicated team of specialists working around the clock as part of a global network working to stop child sexual exploitation.
"This should be a further warning to people who commit child sexual exploitation offences – whether you’re carrying the illegal material on your devices physically across the border, travelling overseas for child sex tourism, or downloading or uploading objectionable images and videos across the cyber border – customs will catch you," he says.
Further charges are possible as the investigation continues, NZ Customs says.
SHARE ME