13 June 2008

Another jailing for child sex abuse pictures

A Christchurch sickness beneficiary is the fifth person to be jailed this year in Internal Affairs Department prosecutions involving child sex abuse pictures.

In the Christchurch District Court yesterday, Leigh Marshall O’Connor, aged 53, was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to 14 charges involving possession and distribution of objectionable publications.

Internal Affairs Deputy Secretary, Keith Manch, said O’Connor was detected on the Internet making available objectionable pictures of sexually posed young girls.
The Department seized his computer, DVDs and CDROMS from his home and found over 17,000 pictures, movies and files, mainly of girls aged between about eight and 14.

“The message must get through to these offenders that the courts are using the tougher penalties Parliament provided three years ago,” Keith Manch said.
“Already this month two similar offenders got two years and more inside. And back in March a repeat offender got five years in jail.

“But these do not compare with the harm done to the child victims of this abuse who are exploited to feed this despicable international trade.”

ENDS

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