Sentencing for multiple child pornography offences, including making, possessing, making available, online communication to facilitate a child pornography offence, and breach of bail by possessing internet-capable devices.
The court applied proportionality, denunciation, deterrence, and totality principles, with substantial reliance on recent appellate guidance emphasizing the gravity of sexual offences against children and the role of technology in perpetuating abuse.
Aggravating features included a very large collection, the youth of the children depicted, surreptitious creation of images, real-time participatory conduct, and reoffending while on bail.
Mitigating factors included a guilty plea, absence of prior record, remorse, and some rehabilitative prospects.
A global sentence of 4.5 years' incarceration was imposed with enhanced pre-sentence credit, probation, registry and prohibition orders, and forfeiture.
