A Warkworth children’s entertainment company has responded after one of its staff members pleaded guilty to the possession of child sexual abuse material. 

Regan Highfield, a former employee of Big Fun Events, was investigated by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) in May last year after an international law enforcement agency reported he was sharing exploitative images in online chats. 

Enquiries found the 25-year-old had accessed 7853 objectionable images of children and shared links to 1053 of them with other paedophiles, leading to 21 criminal charges. 

Highfield had been employed by the small family business, which operates kids’ inflatables and food carts at local events, at the time of the offending. 

Big Fun Events posted a Facebook statement addressing the offending after Highfield pleaded guilty at the North Shore District Court last Wednesday. 

“We’d like to clarify that Regan is no longer an employee of ours,” it wrote. “During his employment, we conducted police checks, which came back clean. 

“Regan and his mother also run a separate business, selling items at markets, which has no connection to us. 

“We’re shocked and disgusted by the charges against him, and it’s disturbing that he didn’t inform us promptly or correctly.” 

In a comment responding to a concerned local, the business said the police had not informed it of the charges and it was “absolutely devastated” by the news. 

Highfield has now been sentenced to 12 months’ home detention and registered as a child sex offender. 

Digital child exploitation team manager Tim Houston said the DIA is “committed” to prosecuting individuals responsible for the revictimisation of children. 

“Offenders who possess and knowingly share this material present a risk to both online and offline communities. 

“These aren’t just images on a phone or laptop, these are real children in real scenarios – it’s important we reduce the accessibility of this material as much as we can. Anyone who accesses this material generates a demand for others to create this horrific content.”