The charges relate to possessing 374 images and videos depicting “horrific and extreme” sexual abuse and exploitation of young children and babies, the Department of Internal Affairs’ Digital Child Exploitation Team manager Tim Houston said.

He said the man’s offending came to light after a European law enforcement agency alerted the team in May last year to a New Zealand-based person who had made claims online he sexually abused a child and had access to child sexual abuse materials.

Following an investigation, the man’s home was searched in June last year, and electronic devices were seized including two cellphones.

Houston said a forensic examination of one of the phones revealed 374 objectionable images and videos.

He said the offender made a full admission and none of the images was created by him.

Houston said children were re-victimised every time images of their abuse were distributed, shared or viewed.

“Child sexual exploitation material depicts real children who have had real harm perpetrated against them, and these images depict a real crime scene.”

He said the Digital Child Exploitation Team carried out 47 investigations last year into child exploitation which resulted in the discovery of almost 3 million pieces of illegal material possessed by New Zealanders.

Houston said more than 1m attempts were also made to access websites hosting child sexual abuse material that were blocked by the digital child exploitation filtering system.

The team was committed to keeping New Zealanders safe from harm from this type of offending and to preventing the spread of child sexual exploitation material online, he said.

Houston encouraged parents and caregivers to talk to their children about their online activities and said there was advice and support online about how to keep their tamariki safe at KeepItRealOnline.govt.nz.