A British child sex offender has been deported to the UK after being found at a Hawke's Bay leisure activity popular with children.
Matthew Paul Hamilton, 29, had been living illegally in New Zealand since 2008, when his one-month visitor permit lapsed. He managed to evade Immigration for nearly two years, supposedly moving around New Zealand. The last reported recent sighting of him was in Hastings.
A national alert was sent out last month and police began actively looking for him. Hamilton was arrested at a leisure activity in Hawke's Bay earlier this month after a detective followed a hunch that he might be there. He offered no resistance and was arrested immediately.
Hamilton has since been identified as a person of interest in an international child exploitation investigation. In 2005 while living in Cambodia, he was charged with sex offences against children and possessing child abuse images. He denied the charges and was found not guilty.
He had not committed any offences while in New Zealand.
Detective Inspector Ross Pinkham of Eastern District Police says the arrest came about after a detective followed his "gut instinct" that Hamilton may be frequenting the leisure activity, that is popular with children.
"We knew that Hamilton had been seen in the area at some stage, but it was not confirmed. So it was a case of working out where he might be and talking to as many people as possible who might have come across him.
"It was very pleasing to get the result that we did and to remove him from the country," Mr Pinkham said.
Hamilton was extradited earlier this month and returned to the UK by Hawke's Bay detectives. It is not known if he is facing any charges in his home country.
Media note:
Police will not be identifying the leisure activity where Hamilton was found out of courtesy and to protect the reputation of the business.
Released by:
Kris McGehan: Eastern Police District Communications Manager
Tel: 06 831 0786, email: kris.mcgehan@police.govt.nz