from the Daily Telegraph NZ

Former deputy police commissioner Jevon McSkimming has been sentenced to nine months’ home detention after pleading guilty to possessing objectionable material, including child sexual exploitation and bestiality images.

Appearing in the Wellington District Court, McSkimming admitted three representative charges relating to thousands of images and searches conducted between 2020 and 2024, some using his work phone during office hours.

Judge Tim Black reduced a starting sentence of three years by half, citing McSkimming’s early guilty plea, remorse, rehabilitation efforts, prior good character and steps taken to prevent reoffending.

The judge declined to order his placement on the child sex offender register, assessing his risk to the community as low, and noted his senior policing role would make him vulnerable to serious harm in prison.

Prosecutors said the offending was not victimless and represented a profound breach of public trust, while defence counsel argued the behaviour stemmed from a pornography addiction and had already resulted in a devastating personal and professional downfall.

Obviously, this episode has damaged the reputation of the police force, although the major damage to it was done by Obergruppenführer Coster in conjunction with Comrade Jacinda and The Mallard over 2020-2023. —Eds