Tim Jago name suppression and allegations

The story so far

Former ACT Party president Tim Jago was charged in January 2023 and was under name suppression until it was lifted at the end of January 2025.^{31 Jan 2025} Jago was found guilty in an Auckland court of sexually abusing two teenage boys through a sports club in the 1990s, and was jailed in November 2024.^{1, 4 Feb 2025} Jago maintains his innocence.^{31 Jan 2025} A survivors' advocate said the length of his name suppression was too long.^{1 Feb 2025} ACT leader David Seymour defended the party's handling of the allegations, saying it acted professionally by referring a survivor to a lawyer rather than the police.^{3 Feb 2025}

Latest

Google's AI overviews and a website search function revealed names protected by New Zealand suppression orders, including Jago's before his suppression had lapsed. Google has not yet responded to questions about how the breaches occurred.^{17 Feb 2025}

Key moments

1. 31 Jan 2025Name suppression lifted, allowing Jago to be identified as the abuser.
2. 1 Feb 2025Jago named after being jailed the previous November; advocate criticises suppression length.
3. 3 Feb 2025Seymour denies wrongdoing over the party's handling of the allegations.
4. 4 Feb 2025Jago found guilty of abusing two teenage boys; name suppression waived after two-year legal battle.
5. 17 Feb 2025Google AI and search reveal suppressed names, including Jago's, before suppression lapsed.

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.