A Tauranga preschool teacher faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of possessing objectionable child abuse images. Photo / Mead Norton
A woman working as a preschool teacher has been arrested and charged with possessing objectionable child abuse images.
Shocked parents at a Tauranga preschool were told this week the teacher, who worked at the centre in August, had been brought before the courts and granted interim name suppression.
If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison.
It’s understood the teacher was hired through a recruitment firm and had worked at several Bay of Plenty day care centres before her alleged offending came to light.
A parent whose child attends the centre told the Herald it was “sickening” to learn the woman had been caring for young children.
Parents had been told there was nothing to suggest children at the centre had been subject to abuse.
“There’s no evidence of that. It’s just online images she’s [allegedly] been sharing.”
The parent appreciated the centre being upfront about the teacher, who had passed police vetting checks before being hired.
They understood the woman had also worked at other Bay of Plenty centres that had not yet informed their parent communities about the criminal charges.
“I just feel sick and really shocked. You just don’t imagine anything like this would happen.
“I feel bad for the centre and [recruitment] agency. No one’s at fault really here apart from the woman.
“I just feel sickened that someone like that was close to your child.”
An email from the centre to parents this week said a detective from the police child protection unit had contacted the company to alert them to the woman’s alleged offending.
“He disclosed to us that she is being charged with possession ... of objectionable material and child abuse images.
“He has reassured us that there has been zero evidence that she has taken any images herself and everything that she is accused of possessing and supplying are images she has sourced from the internet.
“Although he was able to disclose the charges, she currently has name ... suppression. We do know that she has worked in several other centres within the area.”
Detective Senior Sergeant Kepal Richard, who oversees the Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand Team (Oceanz), said a Tauranga woman in her 20s had been charged with possession of objectionable material.
She was due to appear in Tauranga District Court next month.
“There are currently suppression orders in place which prohibit any further information being provided at this stage.”
The centre did not respond to requests for comment this week and the recruitment company did not return calls.
Ministry of Education deputy secretary Jocelyn Mikaere said the ministry was aware of the matter at an early learning centre in Tauranga.
“Our local team is working closely with the centre management to provide any advice and support that’s needed.”
A Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) spokesman said the department was aware of the Tauranga investigation but not involved in the investigation process or prosecution.
“Any further queries regarding this case are best referred to New Zealand Police.”
Oceanz is a national unit based within police national headquarters which works closely with DIA and Customs to combat online child exploitation.
The three agencies received nearly 20,000 referrals last year and Oceanz currently prepares around 23 files a month for district child protection teams to investigate.
It also works collaboratively with international law enforcement agencies to locate and rescue children from sexual harm.
“The team has successfully contributed to the saving of children both domestically and internationally and continues to work tirelessly to save and prevent victimisation of our most vulnerable,” Richard said.
While the vast majority of imagery Oceanz dealt with was produced overseas, some was self-generated by NZ children as a result of “grooming or sextortion”.
Lane Nichols is deputy head of news and a senior journalist for the New Zealand Herald with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry.
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