A prominent New Zealander whose case was shrouded in secrecy last month can now be identified as former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.
The ex-top cop faces eight charges of possessing child exploitation and bestiality material.
McSkimming, 52, first appeared by audio-visual link in the Wellington District Court in early July, but was granted interim name suppression as well as suppression of his charges.
Suppression was due to be argued in court today, with major media companies joining together to oppose the order continuing, but McSkimming’s lawyer, Letizea Ord, told Judge Tim Black they were no longer pursuing suppression.
The order forbidding publication of his name and identifying features, as well as the nature of his charges, lapsed today.
It can now be reported he faces eight charges of possessing objectionable material containing child exploitation material and bestiality. Most of the charges have specific dates, while one is listed as the alleged offending having happened any time between July 2020 and December 2024.
In court today, McSkimming appeared in person wearing business clothes and a Swanndri-style jacket. He fiddled with his cellphone during the hearing, looking around at assembled media.
“There is not a further application in respect of name suppression, it’s accepted that it can lapse today,” Ord said to the judge.
She sought a new hearing date for November and has not yet entered pleas on her client’s behalf.
Judge Black remanded him on bail until his next appearance.
McSkimming had been suspended on full pay since December while under investigation for a separate allegation, although his lawyers said he expected to resume his duties after clearing his name.
The nature of the original allegations, which led to his suspension, cannot be reported currently for legal reasons.
The Herald earlier reported that detectives had allegedly discovered pornographic material on his electronic work devices.
Among the images was material that was, at that time, being assessed as to whether or not it could be classified as objectionable.
McSkimming, who immediately resigned upon discovery of the material, then sought an injunction preventing media from reporting the nature of the alleged material, which was declined by High Court Justice Karen Grau.
Robert Stewart KC, who represented the media at the injunction hearing, had argued there was significant public interest in reporting on the investigations which ultimately led to the forced resignation of a public figure.
“He jumped before he was pushed… the public have a right to understand a little bit more about the material that led to that, or the nature of the allegations that led to that.”
In response, McSkimming’s lawyer Linda Clark said the injunction was necessary to protect her client’s right to a fair trial and court’s processes.
“Naturally, in an application such as this, public interest will be front of mind and, your Honour, we say that public interest has been served by the amount of information already in the public domain about Mr McSkimming.”
On the same day McSkimming resigned, Police Commissioner Richard Chambers ordered an independent review of the organisation’s IT systems to ensure there were sufficient security measures to prevent and detect the misuse of police technology.
The review, which was released earlier this month, found that the organisation needed more monitoring of staff internet use and stronger filtering mechanisms to guard against “inappropriate or harmful content” being accessed or downloaded.
The review also recommended better oversight of all police-owned devices, including those which sit outside the police network for legitimate work purposes.
As a result, Chambers said he immediately ordered the reintroduction of audits of data and internet usage on police devices. This had been previously halted around five years ago, Chambers said.
In a statement this morning, Chambers said “The prosecution of Mr Jevon McSkimming shows no member of the police is above the law, no matter how senior.
“Given the matter is still before the courts, I am not able to make further comment at this point.”
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.