Rhys Nicholas Dunick (43) appeared for sentencing in the Invercargill District Court yesterday on one charge of publishing a conversation about having sexual conduct with a person under 12 years old, a charge of sharing and sending 33 child sexual exploitation objectionable material through an online messenger to persons unknown.
He also faced a charge of breach of an extended supervision order.
Judge Duncan Harvey said an investigation started in February after the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children received information from the TikTok social media platform about a user who shared information about having sexual contact with children under 12 years old.
They also received information 33 child sexual exploitation material of children ranging from 4 to 14 years old were being distributed in private messages on the Kik platform and on both occasions the user was identified as Dunick.
"I do not intend to repeat in the sentencing notes the content of their discussion, other than to say clearly involved in discussion about having oral sex with very young girls."
Police executed a search warrant in Dunick’s property on March 16 and seized his computer devices.
He agreed to be interviewed by the police when he said his conversation about having sexual activity with young children was fabricated, but confirmed he was the user of the profile which shared the images and videos.
"Your explanation was that you were trying to fit in online and things got carried away and went down a rabbit hole."
He stated in a report that initially he was not seeking sexual gratification, but over time, that had changed.
"You say to the report, that you believe by watching the children exposing themselves — and no doubt being involved in sexual activity — you were proving to yourself that you are safe around children.
"I completely reject that explanation."
He had a total of 62 previous convictions over a period of 20 years and was released from jail in October 2021 after serving a "very long" sentence for sexual offences, the judge said.
Dunick’s lawyer Roger Eagles said none of those convictions involved children or the distribution of objectionable material.
He highlighted that his client secured employment as an apprentice mechanic for a period, but "unfortunately" he relapsed in a real serious way.
Mr Eagles asked to take into consideration the cultural report in the file which included hardship in his childhood which included being the victim of sexual abuse.
"There was at least some connection between the offences and your background," the judge said.
Judge Harvey sentenced him to two years and four months’ imprisonment and made an order to destroy all the devices where the objectionable material was found.
