Teenage boys biggest viewers of child porn - internal affairs
Date: February 11, 2005Source: STUFF
The largest group of people caught viewing child pornography are teenage boys who are seldom prosecuted, the Department of Internal Affairs says.
There have been 155 convictions in New Zealand. An additional 120 teenage boys have been caught offending since 1997, but only 20 had been prosecuted, the department's gaming and censorship regulation director Keith Manch said today.
"The parents of young offenders are encouraged to access counselling through their GPs," he told National Radio.
"We are not aware of any of them having offended again."
Many of the young offenders were experimenting and did not understand what they were looking at.
"So it comes as a big shock to them and it certainly comes as a big shock to their parents."
Department investigations resulted on average in more than two convictions a month and 30 cases were now before the courts, Mr Manch said earlier.
"Department inspectors have (also) provided intelligence reports that have led to many more convictions in Australia, the United States, Canada, Britain and Europe."
New Zealand had one of the most effective regimes in the world for detecting and tracking Internet users who collected and distributed images of children being abused.
Shane Allan Harris was sentenced in Timaru District Court yesterday to eight months imprisonment on charges relating to child pornography.
The unemployed 33-year-old was convicted on four charges of making objectionable publications available for gain or by advertisement.
The charges were subject to a maximum penalty of 12 months imprisonment.
Harris, of Timaru, was also sentenced on eight charges of possessing an objectionable publication, subject to a maximum penalty of a $2000 fine.
Under the current sentencing regime Harris will likely serve half of the eight-month term.
Among the offensive and pornographic material found on Harris' computer and at his home was film footage of the junior Miss Caroline Bay competitions, and of a Timaru children's gymnastics club. In each case the footage focused on the groin areas of the participants.
In sentencing Harris, Judge Murray Abbott told the court an amendment bill before Parliament intended to increase the maximum penalty for the charges of making objectionable images available from one year to 10 years.
The charges of possessing such images would no longer be fine-only offences but would attract a maximum prison sentence of two years.
Add comment
Email to a Friend
