Two New Zealanders have been arrested after an international operation targetting child abuse and internet child exploitation.
The accused are a Te Awamutu couple - a 37-year-old man and a woman, aged 32.
Detective Inspector Chris Page. Photo: RNZ
The man faces 69 charges - the majority of them relating to the sexual abuse of very young children and possessing objectionable material connected to the exploitation of young boys.
He appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Friday and also faces drugs and firearms offences, two counts of assault and one charge of using a document.
The woman faces one charge of making an objectionable publication and appeared in court in May.
The couple were arrested in Christchurch last month and have interim name suppression.
Waikato Detective Inspector Chris Page says the inquiry originated in Italy in 2011 into the use of the internet for obtaining and distributing material relating to child exploitation.
A number of images were provided to authorities in New Zealand, including one that appeared to be of a New Zealand child with a male.
Mr Page said a sharp-eyed detective can be credited with identifying the accused man and material relating to the exploitation of young boys was subsequently discovered.
Police said when the man was located, he was found to be using a pseudonym and to have obtained a false birth certificate and driver's licence.
Mr Page said investigations are continuing.
