Christchurch mosque shootings: Website Kiwi Farms refuses to surrender data linked to accused

The American operator of a controversial website has smacked down a request by New Zealand police to hand over posts and video links that appeared on the site as the Christchurch terrorist attack unfolded.

In an obscenity-laden email, Kiwi Farms founder Joshua Moon dismissed the plea by Detective Senior Sergeant John Michael as "a joke" - labelling New Zealand "a small, irrelevant island nation" and "s***hole country".

Moon is a former administrator of 8chan, the online message board where shooting accused Brenton Tarrant posted details of his sick plan, along with a 73-page manifesto, mere hours before allegedly carrying out New Zealand's deadliest terrorist attack.

Kiwi Farms, 8chan and a third online message board called Voat are all under investigation by authorities tracking Tarrant's online activities. They are popular with incels (involuntary celibates), an online subculture of men who claim they are unable to find sexual or romantic partners.

Australian national Tarrant, 28, is in custody on murder charges after the massacre of 50 worshippers at two Christchurch mosques, which left 50 dead and dozens more wounded.

Moon — an alt-right, anti-feminist, pro-white Trump supporter who claims he set up Kiwi Farms for the "gossip and exploitation of the mentally handicapped for amusement purposes" — published the exchange with Detective Michael without bothering to hide the officer's email address.

"I am hoping that you can help us with an investigation the New Zealand Police are working on," Michael wrote in an email dated March 17.

The police email to the Kiwi Farms website requesting information.

"On 15 March 2019 there was a shooting in New Zealand with multiple fatalities at two mosques in the city of Christchurch. The alleged offender in this matter is a Brenton TARRANT.

"At around the time of the shooting there were a number of posts and links posted on kiwifarms.net relating to the shooting and TARRANT.

"We would like to preserve any posts and technical data including IP addresses, email addresses etc linked to these posts pending a formal legal request."

Moon shot back: "Is this a joke? I'm not turning over information about my users.

"The person responsible for posting the video and manifesto PDF is myself."

He continued: "I feel real bad for you guys, you've got a quiet nation and now this attack is going to be the first thing people think of for the next 10 years when they hear the name New Zealand, but you can't do this.

"Tell your superiors they're going to make the entire country and its government look like clowns by trying to censor the internet.

"You're a small irrelevant island nation barely more recognisable than any other nameless pacific sovereignty. You do not have the clout to eradicate a video from the internet and you do not have the legal reach to imprison everyone who posted it.

"If anyone turns over to you the information they're asking for they're not only cowards but they're f***ing idiots."

Moon followed up with another email abusing New Zealand authorities for their efforts to remove footage of the rampage, which was livestreamed by Tarrant and has been circulating online ever since.

Facebook says it has removed more than 1.5 million videos from the social media platform but uncensored footage continues to be reskinned and shared on Kiwi Farms, 8chan and another message board called Voat.

That's despite a warning from New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern that anyone caught downloading or distributing such material — especially the killer's 17 minute bodycam footage — faces up to 14 years' jail.

"I don't give a single solitary f**k what section 50 of your fagg*t laws say about sharing your email," Moon ranted in the second email.

"F**k you and f**k your s***hole country, Kiwi Farms has nothing to do with New Zealand.

To his credit, Michael refused to bite, replying instead with a polite acknowledgement of Moon's views.

"Hi Josh," he wrote. "Appreciate your quick response. Will definitely consider what you have said. Regards, John."

New Zealand police verified the authenticity of the email exchange in a statement to news.com.au.

"I can confirm New Zealand Police made contact with the website as part of the ongoing investigation into the Christchurch terror attacks," a spokeswoman said.

Before he founded Kiwi Farms, Moon was sacked as an administrator for 8chan for allegedly promoting paedophilia. He is notorious for his online stalking and harassment campaigns, which have featured threats to "rape, murder and dismember" his mainly female victims.

In 2016, Moon was linked to a series of online threats to harm children in Florida, where he shares a home with his mother, forcing dozens of schools into lockdown.