The recipient said he was and requested a picture.
Dennis sent an image to the man, to which he replied she was “hot” and he wanted to have sex with her.
In the days after the November 2019 communication, the pair discussed the agreement.
The man asked Dennis if the girl knew about the arranged sex and if she was a virgin.
When asked what Dennis wanted in return, Dennis stated “talking dirty about my daughter”.
It was agreed that after talking sexually about the fake daughter, she and the man would have sex.
The two exchanged 1072 text messages discussing the meeting.
The communication between them, and several others across New Zealand, was intercepted by police and an investigation dubbed Operation Cobra was launched.
On December 17, police searched Dennis’ house and found he had made web searches titled “homemade bestiality” and incest material.
Police found a total of 152 objectionable images, most containing sexual activity between adults and animals. Child sexual exploitation material was also found.
Dennis admitted to taking part in the conversation with the man but said he would “never follow through” on any of the acts he described in his messages.
Defence lawyer Kris Bucher said while Dennis accepted his messages were “disturbing to read”, the offending related to fantasy rather than reality.
Bucher said no actual children were on offer as Dennis had invented the teen girl. He had also taken meaningful steps to address his behaviour.
He asked the judge to impose a sentence of home detention, adding his client was “ashamed and embarrassed”.
Bucher also asked the judge to permanently suppress Dennis’ name as publication would result in “extreme hardship” for his family.
Crown prosecutor Sean Mallett opposed the application, stating Dennis did not meet the threshold for extreme hardship.
Mallett said Dennis was “baiting” somebody he knew to be a paedophile.
Judge Paul Kellar agreed and added Dennis was also encouraging demand for such exploitation.
He said while Dennis had learned his lesson, there was a “real need” to deter others from these types of crimes and declined his application for suppression.
Judge Kellar gave Dennis discounts for his previous good character, having never been before the court, his guilty pleas, remorse, time spent on bail and steps taken to address his behaviour such as counselling.
On a charge of offering to deal in a person under 18 for sexual exploitation and a representative charge of possessing objectionable publications, the judge imposed an end sentence of 10 months home detention with special conditions and six months standard post-detention conditions.
Dennis was not placed on the child sex offender’s register and the judge ordered forfeiture of his electronic devices.
The New Zealand Defence Force confirmed Dennis “was in the Army” but said he was no longer a member.
“We have no further comment to make.”
Emily Moorhouse is a Christchurch-based Open Justice journalist at NZME. She joined NZME in 2022. Before that, she was at the Christchurch Star.
