Kepal Richards
Detective Senior Sergeant Kepal Richards is the manager of the online child exploitation team in New Zealand. He has emphasized the growing risks children face on social media and gaming platforms, highlighting how online communities can become hunting grounds for predators. Richards has been vocal about the need for vigilance and proactive measures to protect young users from exploitation.
Not in the pool (under ¢1).
Recent news mentions
Detective Senior Sergeant Kepal Richards of the national criminal investigations group told the Herald police are seeing a 'steady increase' in illegal sales on social media platforms.
Convicted dealer says ‘it’s easy’ to sell drugs, weapons on Facebook
New Zealand· 2025-07-30
Detective Senior Sergeant Kepal Richards of the National Criminal Investigations Group said this year they had seen instances of children as young as 9 being targeted by sextortion.
Netsafe reports 68% rise in sextortion in NZ as AI deepfake threats increaseNew Zealand· 2025-05-04
Detective Senior Sergeant Kepal Richards said a growing population, smarter phones, and an increase in online communities contributed to the problem.
‘Predator playground’: Snapchat child sex abuse material skyrocketsNew Zealand· 2025-03-29
