Paedophile caught with child porn

File photo / Bay of Plenty Times

A notorious convicted paedophile is back behind bars after he was caught with child pornography as he tried to return to New Zealand with his wife and kids.

The 65-year-old Auckland man - who had been living overseas - was arrested by the New Zealand Customs Service at Auckland Airport.

He has been charged with 22 counts of possessing objectionable material involving underage children.

The Herald on Sunday has agreed not to name the man to protect his children, who are now in Child Youth and Family custody.

A Customs spokesman said it was likely further charges would be laid in relation to the images.

It is understood Customs and police have been waiting for more than a year for the man to return to New Zealand.

In 2000 the man - who works as a photographer - was fined $6000 in the Auckland District Court for importing child pornography after Customs found a disk in his luggage containing nearly 3000 images.

In 1998 he was convicted of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl in Australia and sentenced to 2 years' prison.

He has also been before the courts on other occasions in relation to images involving underage girls.

The man is due to reappear in court next week. Police have not laid any charges against him, but said they had an "ongoing working relationship" with Customs.

The man's wife has not been charged in relation to the images.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY