KEY POINTS:
A former South Island soccer administrator is wanted by police on child pornography charges.
An arrest warrant was issued in Christchurch District Court today for Paul Richard Anthony Slack, 41, who left his position as director of football for Christchurch-based Mainland Soccer last May, bound for Australia.
He
has not returned to New Zealand.
Slack faces two charges of possessing an objectionable publication knowing it to be objectionable, and one charge of possessing an objectionable publication.
The charges relate to material seized from his Christchurch home when police executed a search warrant last February.
In court today crown prosecutor Pip Currie told Judge Gary MacAskill that Slack had been picked up during a United States Department of Homeland Security investigation into child pornography -- Operation Falcon.
That operation sparked one of the most extensive child pornography stings in New Zealand -- dubbed Operation Tercel -- which led to dozens of arrests, among them Queenstown lawyer Wayne McKeague.
McKeague pleaded guilty a year ago to two charges of accessing child pornography and was fined heavily.
New Zealand police, Customs and Internal Affairs officers acted on a list of suspects provided by American authorities in September 2005.
The premises of 50 people were searched and 176 computer hard-drives seized during the sting.
Operation Falcon led to hundreds of arrests in the US, Europe and Australia in a worldwide crackdown on child pornography.
As part of the operation an undercover agent penetrated a US-based business that acted as a clearing house for credit cards used by people accessing child pornography through computer servers in Europe.
Within weeks of Operation Tercel being completed, the maximum penalty for producing, trading and possessing child pornography in New Zealand was raised from six months imprisonment to five years.
In court today, Ms Currie said Slack was aware of the investigation and left New Zealand for Brisbane on June 7.
He indicated on his departure card that he intended to be out of New Zealand for two weeks, but hadn't returned.
Manchester-born, Slack held British, Canadian and New Zealand passports.
Ms Currie handed up an affidavit to the judge and sought an arrest warrant.
Judge MacAskill issued the warrant without comment.
Outside court, Ms Currie told NZPA the Crown was not seeking Slack's extradition "at this stage".
Slack was understood to be living on Queensland's Gold Coast, where he went to help his father run a property management business. He is understood to be a director and silent partner in a Christchurch-based security company.
Mainland Soccer, one of seven federations established by New Zealand Soccer in 2000, runs the sport in Canterbury, Nelson Bays, Marlborough, Mid-Canterbury and the West Coast.
Chief executive Mike Coggan told NZPA the allegations against Slack came as a "complete shock".
He said Slack left the organisation of his own accord last May after being with Mainland for 18 months, saying it was for "personal and family reasons".
"We certainly haven't had any suspicions of anything of this particular nature.
"He was very professional in the way he conducted himself as a director of football."
Coggan said Slack had an extensive role responsible for all aspects of player development programmes and coach education "from the grassroots up".
Slack coached an under-13s team last year but had overall responsibility for all Mainland Soccer age-group teams involving children aged from 12 to 16.
He would escort a team to the national tournament once a year, Coggan said.
He said he had been "very saddened" by Slack's resignation.
- NZPA
