30 Oct 2014

Man uses sick wife to keep name secret

4:10 pm on 30 October 2014

A man who shared child sex abuse images is to be allowed to keep his name secret, because of his wife's health.

Crown Law has decided not to appeal against name suppression.

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

When the judge refused to grant name suppression, the man's lawyer appealed, saying his client's wife had a potentially fatal heart condition which could be brought on by stress.

High Court judge Justice Thomas agreed that naming the man, and thereby also identifying his six-year-old daughter, could harm his wife.

In a decision released today, Crown Law said Justice Thomas's decision was based on exceptional circumstances and it saw no case for appeal.