Auckland child sex abuse ring survivor confronts member of 'sick and totally vile group of scum'

Wayne Moonie at his sentencing for multiple child abuse offences. Photo / John Weekes

A survivor of heinous child sex offending confronted one of his abusers in court today, calling paedophile Wayne Moonie a "cockroach" before saying he forgave him.

From a 1980s child abuse ring to more recent offending on the dark web's internet underworld, Moonie offended against multiple boys, some as young as 10.

Forty-one years after he was a young teenager drawn into a drug-peddling circle of paedophiles, Roger Allison outlined the destructive spiral the abuse sent him down.

"I was an extremely happy and talented young boy," Allison said today as he stood up in Auckland District Court.

"Everything just seemed to be falling in to place, or so I thought."

Allison wanted his name life suppression lifted, and told the court he was only 13 when Moonie introduced him to drugs and booze and began the sexual abuse.

Soon, Allison said: "Every last little bit of the world that I'd known was gone."

He added: "I became a commodity...just another innocent, trusting young boy."

Allison said Moonie and the other abusers were an "evil, sick and totally vile group of scum".

At one point, Allison's mother died of cancer, leaving him even more vulnerable to the early 1980s child molesters.

"I trusted Wayne, as did my family.

"What a vile, sick paedophile he was."

Allison said trust issues now meant he greatly struggled to sustain healthy relationships, and he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Still to this day these events have had a massive negative impact on my life in every way possible."

After Allison's victim impact statement ended with him saying "I forgive you," Moonie quietly said: "I'm sorry".

Moonie was about 18 or 19 at the time of the early 1980s offending, defence counsel Susan Giles told the court.

Giles said the abusive behaviour was somewhat normalised to Moonie and other paedophiles in the Auckland group.

Giles alluded to childhood abuse Moonie experienced but added: "He doesn't want to rely on it as an excuse for his actions."

Judge Nevin Dawson said other victims of Moonie were as young as 10.

Years later, another victim was from central Otago and aged 14 when he met Moonie through a chat room catering to older men interested in underage boys.

As Moonie trawled the dark web, US and local authorities were watching.

"Your activities were monitored by both the FBI and law enforcement in New Zealand," Judge Dawson added.

Moonie sent one victim about 200 pictures of child sexual abuse.

Crown prosecutor Jacob Barry said Moonie had a deeply entrenched sexual interest in children.

He said Moonie had claimed "much of his offending" came from boredom.

Moonie today was sentenced to 6 years and 5 months in jail.

The destruction of his computers and all associated equipment was ordered.

"Go well Mr Allison. Do your best to put this behind you," Judge Dawson said.

"There's a life to be lived out there that doesn't involve people of that nature."