Ex-school head guilty on child porn charges

A retired school principal has pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child pornography after police in Germany tipped off New Zealand authorities.

Ian Wilson, 62, appeared in Palmerston North District Court yesterday on 10 charges of possessing pornographic material and one count of distributing it, the Manawatu Standard reported.

German police had reported that images of child sex abuse involving boys between three and 14 months were being accessed by New Zealanders.

Wilson's Havelock North home was searched after he was found to be one of those accessing the images.

When his computer was examined it was found he had accessed more than 9000 images during the past two years.

Judge Alistair Garland remanded Wilson on bail for sentence on February 5 next year.

He was ordered to surrender his passport and not access the internet during this time.

- NZPA