Ty-Rae Zachary Cherry’s prison term officially ends in February 2026 but, in a decision provided to the Otago Daily Times, the Parole Board deemed he was no longer an undue risk.
The 22-year-old had undertaken a six-month programme while in prison which he said he found "positive and beneficial".
"He now understood the harm that he had caused to victims by this conduct," panel convener Judge Anna Skellern said.
"He had gained an understanding that he had a sexual preoccupation."
Officials raided Cherry’s Dunedin home in March 2022 after US authorities passed on information about the distribution of illegal images and videos.
Six devices were seized and the defendant made an immediate confession about his crimes.
He said he knew it was "bad" but he had been viewing the illicit material for a year.
In a subsequent interview, Cherry said he had started watching Japanese anime as a teen, which ultimately led to his searches for increasingly explicit videos.
He admitted to a "fixation and fascination" but claimed he gained no sexual arousal from viewing them.
At sentencing the court heard Cherry used a social-media platform to chat to like-minded men and was soon sending them an assortment of depraved material.
One user said he had a wife and children and discussed abusing the children while they were on sleeping pills. Cherry messaged that he would do the same to "my own girls if I have them".
The Parole Board heard he was a minimum-security prisoner and had generally positive reports from Corrections.•
"But the one comment that had been made was that he interacted very little with staff," Judge Skellern noted.
Among Cherry’s parole conditions were:
• To live at an approved Otago address.
• Not to have contact with any under-16.
• To disclose to Probation any changes in relationship status.
• To make electronic device and passwords available to Probation.
• Not to contact any victim.
