18 September 2006

Second flatmate jailed for porn

The jailing of a Rotorua shop assistant for possessing pictures of children being sexually abused by adults sends another strong warning to offenders who indulge in such activity, the Department of Internal Affairs censorship compliance manager, Steve O’Brien, said today.

In the Rotorua District Court, Wayne Keith Fugill, 25 was sentenced to six months in prison after earlier admitting 29 charges of possessing objectionable images and computer video clips. Judge Jim Weir considered nine months as a sentencing starting point but reduced it by three months because Fugill was a first offender, remorseful and had pleaded guilty early. The judge gave him leave to apply for home detention.

In July his former flatmate Scott Jopson, 26, was sentenced to 20 months’ jail for possessing and distributing child pornography.

Steve O’Brien says the courts are now using the stiffer penalties Parliament introduced in February 2005. Penalties for making and distributing objectionable images went from a maximum one year in jail to 10 years and possession charges went from a maximum fine of $2000 to five years in prison on each charge.

“The Department has a dedicated team monitoring the Internet for individuals trading in this sort of material and it’s only a matter of time before we catch them,” he said.

ENDS

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