Man sentenced after sharing more than 1000 child sex abuse images

A Warkworth man has been sentenced to 12 months of home detention after possessing nearly 8,000 objectionable files and distributing over 1,000 child sexual abuse images.

Child Sexual Abuse Material Offenses

Regan Highfield, 25, pleaded guilty to 21 charges of distributing objectionable material, including images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation and abuse of children, in the North Shore District Court yesterday.

The Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) Digital Child Exploitation Team launched an investigation following a report from an international law enforcement agency indicating Highfield had been sharing links containing child sexual exploitation material through an online chat.

A search warrant executed at his residence on May 14, 2024, resulted in the seizure and destruction of several electronic devices. Examination of these devices revealed Highfield possessed 7,853 objectionable files and shared 1,053 child sexual abuse images with 12 other offenders.

DIA digital child exploitation team manager Tim Houston emphasized the team’s commitment to prosecuting individuals involved in the creation and distribution of this material to prevent further harm to children.

“Offenders who possess and knowingly share this material present a risk to both online and offline communities,” Houston said. “These aren’t just images on a phone or laptop, these are real children in real scenarios – it’s important we reduce the accessibility of this material as much as we can. Anyone who accesses this material generates a demand for others to create this horrific content.”

In addition to home detention, Highfield will be registered as a child sex offender, and the devices used in the offenses will be destroyed.

In 2024, the Digital Child Exploitation team conducted 69 investigations into child exploitation and safeguarded 14 New Zealand children from harm. The team’s filtering system also blocked over one million attempts to access websites hosting child sexual abuse material.