Tasman police say the 54-year-old was arrested in Greymouth today following an investigation in which he had allegedly been communicating online with a person he believed to be 13 years old.
In a statement tonight, West Coast Area Investigations Manager, Detective Senior Sergeant Brent Lyford, said police allege that during these interactions, the man engaged in behaviour consistent with grooming and subsequently travelled with the intention of meeting the young teen.
He was due to appear in Greymouth District Court tomorrow, charged with exposing a young person to indecent material, grooming a young person for sexual conduct, and meeting a young person following sexual grooming.
Police have opposed the man’s bail.
"This operation was carried out to disrupt and prevent harm to children – police have zero tolerance for this type of offending, and we remain committed to identifying and holding offenders to account, Det Snr Sgt Lyford said.
"We urge parents, caregivers, and young people to remain vigilant online and tread carefully when engaging with people that you do not personally know."
Any suspicious or inappropriate behaviour, online or otherwise, should be reported immediately through 111 if there was immediate danger, he said.
All non-urgent information could be reported through 105, either online or over the phone, and information could also be reported anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
- Allied Media
