An Auckland business owner has been charged with 64 counts of making intimate visual recordings over several months. The man, in his 30s, pleaded not guilty during his first court appearance today at the Auckland District Court, The New Zealand Herald has reported.
Listed in court documents as a food industry worker from Pukekohe, the man is actually the co-owner and sole director of a central Auckland clothing shop, according to company records. Police arrested him last week on Monday.
The alleged offenses occurred between June 21 and October 7 of last year. The exact duration of the alleged incidents remains unclear, but at least 20 charges date back to this period, according to court documents.
The man, whose identity remains suppressed by order of Judge Simon Lance, is scheduled for a further court hearing in January 2025 to determine whether name suppression will continue. He is also set for a Crown case review on February 19, 2025.
In addition to pleading not guilty, the man has requested a jury trial, as confirmed by his lawyer, Daniel Schellenberg.
A police spokesperson confirmed the charges but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing legal proceedings.
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