29 Sep 2014

Child porn criminal wants suppression

8:36 pm on 29 September 2014

A New Zealand man caught sharing child pornography by an undercover Queensland police operation wants his name kept secret because his wife has a rare heart condition.

He has appealed against a district court ruling that the public have a right to know who he is.

The man was in June sentenced in the Auckland District Court to 10 months' home detention for possessing and exporting objectionable pictures, many of which showed men having sex with children.

Judge Eddie Paul declined to grant name suppression but the man's lawyer, Guyon Foley, told the High Court at Auckland today his client's wife had a rare heart condition that could prove fatal if she was put under stress.

Crown prosecutor Natalie Small said the defence's own medical specialist had been unable to measure the risk.

She said all the information was before Judge Paul, and that he had the right ruling.

Justice Thomas reserved her decision.