Another Singh, another sick crime: Rajneel Singh jailed for child sexual abuse material

I’m not sure how I missed this one last year, but here we go. Another Indian man is behind bars for serious sexual-related crimes, this time involving the possession and distribution of graphic child sexual abuse material.

Rajneel Singh, an Auckland-based film-maker of Fijian-Indian background, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing and distributing objectionable material depicting child exploitation.

Police raided his Mt Roskill home in March 2023 following a tip-off. Investigators discovered 554 photo and video files on his devices, many classified in the most severe category, depicting graphic scenes of abuse involving very young children.

Singh directed episodes of the children’s television series Custard’s World, which aired on TVNZ’s HEIHEI platform. He also had acting roles, including playing a villain on Xena: Warrior Princess and voice work on Power Rangers Ninja Steel.

Police say Singh was caught sending dozens of these files to an undercover decoy detective online. He reportedly shared the material through encrypted apps with contacts he met on the kink and fetish networking site FetLife.

The case has sent shockwaves through New Zealand’s film and television industry.

A longtime friend and colleague, screenwriter Annamarie Connors, who shared a home with Singh for years, described the situation as the “ultimate betrayal”. She said learning the full scale of his offending was both heartbreaking and disgusting, and that she is now trying to rebuild her life after what felt like a 20-year deception.

Connors kicked Singh out immediately after the police raid but was prevented from warning others due to name suppression, which only lapsed at his sentencing in late May 2025.

Not being racist, but I have picked up on a trend here. There have been multiple high-profile cases recently involving men of Indian origin in New Zealand facing serious sexual offending charges.

Adding another disturbing layer, Singh had previously faced similar charges in 2002 and was acquitted at the time.

Police say they are not aware of any New Zealand-based child victims linked to his recent offending, but investigators have been reviewing his work history, particularly projects involving children. His online profiles have since been removed from industry websites.

It is a grim reminder of how predators can hide in plain sight, even within creative industries. Thoughts are with those closest to him who are now dealing with the fallout.