Thousands of child exploitation images, including images of children as young as two being raped and tortured, were found on a laptop computer discarded at an apartment rubbish dump.

The computer was found by a member of the public at a central Christchurch address, who briefly checked it and saw what appeared to be images of naked underage boys.

Published in Stuff

When police did a full forensic examination, they found 3266 files, including dozens that were in the worst category of exploitation images.

Police determined the laptop belonged to Jasper James Gallacher​ Force, 30, who lived at the apartment complex where it was dumped.

When interviewed by police, Force said he had fantasies of underage children, but only of boys over the age of 16.

He admitted three charges in the Christchurch District Court on Wednesday and was remanded on bail for sentencing on December 10. Judge Jane Farish called for a pre-sentence report that will consider his suitability for a home-based sentence.

According to police, it is estimated that more than 200 new child sexual abuse images are circulated on the internet every day. The number of child sexual abuse images online had quadrupled between 2003 and 2007.

According to a 2009 United Nations report, an estimated 750,000 sexual predators were connected to the internet at any one time.

“The demand for new child sexual abuse images results in a continuing cycle of sexual abuse for existing victims and demands for new victims,” police stated in the summary of facts.

“There is an increasing trend towards younger victims and greater brutality. An estimated 20 per cent of all pornography traded over the internet is child pornography.”

In New Zealand, over a million clicks on illegal child sex abuse websites were identified by the Department of Internal Affairs during a two-year trial period ending in 2009.

“Any sexual offence involving a child is horrific, but by photographing, filming and distributing images and movies of the abuse, the victim is victimised every time their image is viewed on the internet. The abused child carries this burden for the rest of their life.”

By David Clarkson
Published in Stuff
22 Sept 2021