Three New Zealand pre-teen girls groomed via Discord and Telegram by 36-year-old man leading to emotional trauma and family displacement
Summary
A 36-year-old man from Wellington, Benjamin Woods, was jailed for sexually exploiting young girls online by pretending to be an 11-year-old child. Woods groomed and encouraged three New Zealand girls, including two pre-teen sisters, to send explicit images and videos, believing they were communicating with a childhood friend. He used social media platforms like Discord, Telegram, and Zoomarang to target the victims over a four-year period. A police investigation revealed Woods had amassed 984 objectionable images and videos of child exploitation, and he was arrested in January 2024 after a police informant in the United States engaged him on TikTok and iMessage. The victims described lasting emotional trauma, including feelings of fear, isolation, and loss of trust, and the family had to move three times following the incident. Woods was sentenced in the Wellington District Court, where he expressed remorse and acknowledged the seriousness of his actions.
Incident Details
Harms involving the exploitation, abuse, or endangerment of minors, including CSAM and grooming.
Online contact by adults seeking to build trust with minors for exploitation.
Child sexual abuse material — the creation, distribution, or possession of such content.
Sources
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