A judge says a former Auckland community board chairman who paid to watch live child sex shows caused immense damage to his Filipina victims

Martin Henry Lawes paid more than 100 thousand dollars over 10 years to view the pornography online, much of it depicting little girls.

Justice Wylie sentenced him to four years and six months in prison at the High Court at Auckland.

He said at no point did Lawes - who's claimed he was being exploited - try to stop doing streaming the shows.

Wylie also said he needed to deter other people from similar offending by setting a sentence of imprisonment.