According to a Customs statement, forensics specialists established he had shared child sexual abuse material on social media, which included depictions of bestiality, rape and torture.
His offending was discovered after Customs received a referral from the United States-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) after an overseas-based social media platform alleged a New Zealander had exported objectionable publications to its platform.
Hill had also been engaging in chatroom conversations about sexually abusing children.
He was charged with eight counts of possession, export and distribution of objectionable material and sentenced to two and a half years' imprisonment in 2024.
His offending triggered the Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal (LCDT) to investigate Hill’s fitness to practise as a lawyer.
On Tuesday, the tribunal decided his fate.
The hearing lasted seven minutes in the absence of Hill, who is still in prison and was represented by Matthew Mortimer-Wang.
“A strike off is the correct outcome,” Mortimer-Wang submitted.
Tribunal chairman Dale Clarkson said from submissions filed, Hill had agreed to his acceptance of the charges and his unfitness to practise as a lawyer.
Accordingly, an order that Hill’s name be struck off the roll was made.
Shannon Pitman is a Whangārei-based reporter for Open Justice covering courts in the Te Tai Tokerau region. She is of Ngāpuhi/ Ngāti Pūkenga descent and has worked in digital media for the past five years. She joined NZME in 2023.
