Convicted paedophile's appeal dismissed

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A convicted paedophile's appeal against his sentence of preventive detention has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal.

Bradford Charles Pascoe, 38, was sentenced to preventive detention with a minimum term of imprisonment of eight years when he appeared at the High Court at Hamilton in April.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to 70 charges including sexual violation, doing an indecent act on a child under 12 years of age, making, possessing and distributing objectionable material and firearms charges.

Pascoe filed his appeal on the grounds that the sentence was wrong in principle.

The background in the Court of Appeal judgement said Pascoe participated in an international group based in Italy, trading material on the internet which showed graphic images of child exploitation and abuse.

A police inquiry into its activities there brought him to the attention of the New Zealand authorities in 2011.

Evidence seized showed Pascoe was a prolific producer and distributor of photographic images depicting gross sexual abuse of young children. Among the materials were photographs of Pascoe's rape of a then two-year-old son of a friend.

The other victims of Pascoe's related offending were boys aged six and seven years who were also the sons of his friends.

When arrested, Pascoe was found in possession of a loaded revolver and an unloaded modified flare pistol. Also in his possession was a large amount of ammunition.

Pascoe had previous convictions for similar offending in Australia. In 2000 he was sentenced to five and a half years imprisonment on the index charge of sexual penetration of a child under 16 years of age.

He was concurrently sentenced on 57 charges of indecently recording images of a child under the age of 13 years, four charges of indecently recording images of a child under the age of 16 years, five charges of indecently dealing with a child under the age of 13 years, and three charges of indecently dealing with a child under the age of 16 years.

Also, in 2005, Pascoe was convicted in New Zealand of possessing objectionable material, photographs of naked children aged between two and 12 years in various sexual poses. He was sentenced to a term of supervision and community work.

Court of Appeal Justices Rhys Harrison, Simon France and Robert Dobson said when Pascoe was sentenced at the High Court at Hamilton Justice Edwin Wylie specifically took into account Pascoe's efforts to address the causes of his offending, including that he had participated in but failed to complete a programme for sex offenders.

The Court of Appeal Justices dismissed Pascoe's appeal, stating they were not satisfied Justice Wylie had erred in imposing a sentence of preventive detention.