Offender got child porn advice at Stop programme

Jeremy Grant Bourne says he met someone at the Stop course for sex offenders who told him how to access child pornography on the Internet.

That led to him returning to court years after his first convictions for sex offending to be sentenced on 10 charges of possessing and distribution child abuse images. He pleaded guilty to all charges two months ago.

The 27-year-old baker is likely to lose his job because of the 20-month jail term imposed by Judge Michael Crosbie in the Christchurch District Court today.

He is also engaged to be married, but counsel Matthew Martin told the court that was also on hold pending the outcome of the sentencing.

Bourne suffered from depression and had sought out counselling after being discomforted by the images he saw, said Mr Martin. “He’s really learnt his lesson here. He is well on the way to ensuring this never happens again.”

It was accepted the images were abhorrent and disgusting, but he urged the judge to impose a home detention sentence, which would allow him to continue with the treatment he was receiving, and with safety mechanisms in place about Internet use.

Crown prosecutor Sara Jamieson said the charges referred to 10 images chosen from about 300 found in Bourne’s possession when a search warrant was executed at his home. He had taken steps towards rehabilitation after the computer was searched.

He said he had been introduced to this type of pornography by someone he had met at the Stop programme.

He had used a file sharing programme which made the images available to other Internet users. This amounted to distribution, said Ms Jamieson.

Judge Crosbie said every image involved the abuse of a real and actual child. Putting the images on the web for others to view and share encouraged “that insidious industry”.

Legislation had greatly increased the penalties for those who produced, traded, or possessed the material.

A home detention sentence would not be sufficient denunciation or deterrence, he said. It would also be wrong to return him to the environment where the offending had occurred.

He imposed the 20-month jail term with special conditions.