Former Oranga Tamariki worker accused of indecently assaulting children keeps suppression for now

The man allegedly showed the children indecent material on his phone - while sniffing and licking the device.

An ex-Oranga Tamariki worker accused of exposing multiple children to indecent material and indecently assaulting some of them will keep his name secret for now.

The Porirua man, 34, appeared in the Hutt Valley District Court this morning, where defence lawyer Carrie Parkin asked for his interim name suppression to continue.

Parkin said she had not received full disclosure yet from police and knew very little about the nature of the charges.

The man is accused of indecently assaulting two children under the age of 16, and showing four of them indecent material on his phone - at times sniffing and licking his phone as he did so. There are nine charges in total.

There are four complainants and the offending is alleged to have happened this year.

At an earlier hearing, he pleaded not guilty to all charges and elected trial by jury.

Judge Michael Mika remanded the man to a case review hearing next month and extended the interim name suppression order until callover.

Parkin acknowledged a full argument on suppression would need to be made then.

Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years.