Child sex offender Rhys Firth caught after bank alerts authorities to ‘questionable online purchases’

Child sex offender Rhys Firth appeared for sentencing in the Nelson District Court on charges involving possession and distribution of child exploitation material. Photo / Tracy Neal

A registered child sex offender was caught for a second time when his bank alerted authorities to some “questionable online purchases”.

Rhys Nathan Firth came to the attention of the authorities again in 2020 after using various social media sites, including an encrypted Cloud-based instant messaging service that is known to host groups focusing on the distribution and discussion of child abuse images.

The bank alerted the police and by 2021 Firth was caught with hundreds of objectional visuals on his phone and messages revealing a desire to engage in sexual activity with young females.

But, it wasn’t the first time he’d been caught. In fact, he’d not long been out of jail for “unbearable” similar offending.

Now the 41-year-old is back in custody, awaiting sentencing that was today delayed when a judge considered his deafness was a significant barrier to his understanding of what was happening.

Firth has admitted six charges of possession of an objectional publication and failing to comply with the conditions of his release from prison in 2020.

The latest charges related to the discovery of a total of 463 images and videos depicting mainly female victims aged from 1 to 15 years.

Firth told police when his home was searched in October 2021 what they were likely to find.

Registered child sex offender Rhys Firth, who is also hard of hearing, arrived in court with his bags packed and signalled to the judge he "came prepared for prison". Photo / Tracy Neal

In July 2016 Firth was sentenced to four years and two months in prison on charges of possessing and distributing objectionable videos and images depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, many of them girls aged 10 or younger, including babies and toddlers.

The charges related to his activities from July 2013 to September 2014, but there was evidence he had been engaging in such conduct since 2002, the police summary showed.

He used a Russian-based website to find contacts with whom to trade material.

He also encouraged a woman believed to be in the Philippines to send him “fresh” material, having sent her several videos to sell featuring child sexual abuse.

He justified his actions then by saying he was “assisting children who would otherwise be starving”.

Firth distributed at least 400 objectionable computer files to at least 18 people by email and had about 24,000 images and more than 1800 videos of children being sexually abused.

He also had 5200 image files and more than 450 videos depicting bestiality.

Department of Internal Affairs Censorship Compliance Manager Steve O’Brien said at the time the level of offending was unbearable.

“The material is horrific; they were very young and involved babies and toddlers being abused.

“You don’t want to contemplate it.”

Firth’s sentence then incorporated a further charge laid after he engaged in internet activity in January 2016, when he secretly photographed young girls changing on a Nelson beach, using a zoom lens.

Defence lawyer Dave Holloway told the Nelson District Court today that it was regrettable that prison hadn’t deterred him, and neither had he benefited from the help offered in prison.

He said Firth admitted having had the problem from the age of about 11, and that he didn’t know why things had not changed.

Holloway said Firth had struggled to adjust to release from the controlled environment of prison, and the ease at which he was able to regain access to material.

“This is all online offending – this is the world he inhabits,” Holloway said of Firth who he described as socially isolated and lacking in normal social connections.

Crown lawyer Maddie Harris said there was no evidence to support a finding that Firth’s isolation had caused his sexual interest in young children.

She said Firth’s willingness to engage in child exploitation material so soon after being released from prison showed he lacked insight into his offending and into the vulnerability of the young people who were the victims of such behaviour.

The summary of facts showed that in 2020 information was received from Firth’s bank that had been engaging in “questionable online purchases via various social media sites”, including Cloud-based instant messaging service Telegraph.

The service provided encrypted video calling, file sharing, and end-to-end encrypted chats.

The particular site is known to host groups focusing on the distribution and discussion of child abuse images, the Crown said.

It was soon established that Firth had not notified the Child Sex Offender Registry that he was a member of Telegraph, which he was obliged to do.

As a result, in October 2021 his cell phone, computer and related property were seized for evidence of this and other unreported social media sites.

The police digital forensic unit found 274 objectionable images and 25 objectionable videos on his cell phone.

Analysis of Firth’s cell phone showed he’d had 538 social media conversations, a number of which were held on Telegraph.

The content of messages analysed showed that between early June and late October 2021, Firth had taken part in multiple conversations where child exploitation material was received or talked about.

Some of the conversations showed he was involved in chat rooms with people said to be “young, female Russian models” who appeared pre-teen or young teens showing photos of themselves modelling in non-sexual activities.

He also had sexualised conversations with people from the Philippines, purporting to be younger females.

In some cases, he offered to pay for images or videos, and in other conversations, he revealed a desire for sexual activity with young females.

Firth arrived at the Nelson District Court today for sentencing carrying two bags, telling Judge Jo Rielly he “came prepared for prison”.

However, sentencing was adjourned to arrange for the appointment of a communications assistant or deaf interpreter for Firth who was unable to interpret sign language and could lip read only at a short distance.

Holloway said Firth’s deafness was linked to meningitis he suffered as a child, which in turn had led to social isolation which had given rise to his offending.

Judge Rielly said it seemed inhumane to “send someone away not having heard what the judge has said when being sentenced”, or not understanding anything of what had been said.

Firth, who’d been on bail before today’s appearance was remanded in custody for sentencing on April 6.

Judge Rielly said a term of imprisonment was inevitable and would be calculated from today.