A Kiwi psychologist working in the United States has been charged with sharing child sex material after an undercover sting on a network of prominent white-collar professionals. 

Jeremy Brian Tacon was arrested in December along with a doctor and lawyer in the city of Detroit as part of a national crackdown by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). 

The 51-year-old was born in New Zealand but moved to the United States a decade ago, where he gained a residency visa and became a licensed therapist working in private practice, according to his profile on LinkedIn. 

Clinical psychology was a second career for Tacon following nearly two decades in the aviation industry which included an 8 year stint at Air New Zealand as a flight attendant. 

Now he faces the possibility of a long prison sentence after being charged with receiving, possessing and distributing child sex abuse material. 

According to US court documents, Tacon was identified after another man, Brett Tooman, was fooled by an undercover FBI agent. 

In March 2025, Tooman had been messaging someone he believed was the parent of two young children. 

During those online conversations, Tooman allegedly discussed committing sexual acts involving the two children and shared videos of child sex abuse. 

However, when he travelled to Ohio to allegedly abuse the two children, Tooman discovered he had in fact been communicating with an FBI agent. 

His phone was seized and a forensic analysis of the device revealed that he allegedly traded images and videos of child sex material with a “multitude” of men. 

Tacon was one of them, according to the FBI. 

He allegedly received at least 12 videos of child sex abuse material through the encrypted communications app Telegram. 

As well as the videos, Tacon and Tooman allegedly discussed their mutual sexual interest in children. Most of the alleged conversations are too explicit to publish. 

“Wish we could find a kiddo and have our way together. Take him to a motel and molest him,” Tooman allegedly wrote. 

In reply, Tacon allegedly said: “F***yes brother”. 

Jeremy Brian Tacon was born in New Zealand but moved to the United States in 2016. In December he was charged with child sex abuse material after an undercover FBI sting. Image / NZME composite 

Tacon allegedly shared child sex abuse material with a prominent lawyer in Detroit and both men were arrested in December. The FBI investigation also led to the arrest of a doctor. 

“FBI Detroit will relentlessly pursue anyone who seeks to exploit our children, regardless of their profession or status in society,” said Jennifer Runyan, the special agent in charge of the field office. 

“We will never stop protecting our children and will do everything we can under federal law to hold offenders accountable.” 

Jared Savage covers crime and justice issues, with a particular interest in organised crime. He joined the Herald in 2006 and has won a dozen journalism awards in that time, including twice being named Reporter of the Year. He is also the author of Gangland, Gangster’s Paradise and Underworld.