Alleged phone video of abuse included GPS details
An alleged child abuse video found on the phone of a man arrested in Canada included the GPS co-ordinates of where it was filmed – an address in New Zealand, the High Court was told today.
The discovery of the video set inquiries in motion by the New Zealand police and led to the arrest of 55-year-old Stanley Ross Hammond who has gone on trial before Justice Rachel Dunningham today.
The trial, expected to take about a week, is before a judge-alone on 28 remaining charges after a succession of guilty pleas by Hammond.
The remaining charges which he denies, allege sexual abuse of two girls. The charges include sexual violation including rape, doing an indecent act, indecent assault, and making and distributing an objectionable publication.
The charges he has admitted involve making and distributing objectionable publications.
Suppression of Hammond’s name was lifted by Justice Dunningham today but at the Crown’s request other details cannot be published, including the age of the girls and the location of the offending.
Hammond previously ran a panel beating business, but he has since sold the business and is no longer associated with it.
Crown prosecutor Clare Boshier said Hammond admitted the male voice that could be heard on the video was his.
She said nine videos and 61 photographs of one of the two alleged victims were among 230 files recovered from one of Hammond’s phones. The Crown alleged he had used various cellphone apps to share the child pornography with other paedophiles.
He had used these files as “currency” to trade to get more images.
Ms Boshier said Hammond could be heard speaking in the video found when a man was arrested in Canada. The phone had also recorded the GPS co-ordinates of the location where the video was made, which was an address where Hammond had access.
The Crown alleges one of the girls was raped, including being raped anally several times.
Defence counsel Andrew McCormick said Hammond’s defence was that the sexual assaults against both girls did not happen. He would say that there was an innocent explanation for the video that was found in Canada and that what he was doing was not an indecent act in the circumstances.
“He did not know or realise that in making the video he was making a publication that would be deemed objectionable,” said Mr McCormick. “His position is that distribution was accidental.”
The trial is hearing evidence from the two complainants today and tomorrow. It will then hear from other witnesses, then police and a scientist from the Electronic Crime Laboratory.
The trial is proceeding.
Category: News
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
Connect
Connect with us via: