No jail term for kid porn
A GOLD Coast man who pleaded guilty to a slew of child pornography offences and refused to give up the names of people he shared images with has walked free from Southport District Court.
Stephen Michael Remiens, 45, pleaded guilty to four charges after police caught him with 6000 files in 2015.
Remiens, a marine mechanic, was given immediate parole and a two-year suspended sentence for each charge.
Remiens was charged with possessing child exploitation material, using a carriage service to solicit child porn, and two counts of using a carriage service to transmit, make available, publish, advertise, or promote child pornography.
The New Zealand citizen was also handed a five-year, $500 good behaviour bond.
The court was told some of the images in his possession were considered to be in the “most serious” category.
Remiens admitted to having the child porn but refused to give up the search terms he used or the people he communicated with, “out of courtesy”, the court was told.
Court documents revealed the messages Remiens used when transmitting child porn online, which were accompanied with images of girls who appeared to be as young as five.
He asked questions like “Hi am interested in trading some clips and pictures Steve” and “Hi Do you have pics to trade?”
The court was told Remiens became interested in the pictures following the break-up of an 11-year marriage.
In sentencing, Judge David Kent QC said he took into account the 61 days Remiens had already spent in custody following his August 2015 arrest.
“It’s an unusual case because no further time in custody is needed,” he said.
Judge Kent said a sentence that would result in Remiens being thrown in a detention centre and deported to New Zealand would interfere with rehabilitation efforts.
He said Remiens had booked additional treatment, despite already attending 30 sessions with a psychiatriatrist.
Judge Kent said deportation would put a strain on Remiens’ support network.
He said Remiens also had a “significant degree of insight” and understood he was breaking the law, because he “became so concerned” he visited a hypnotherapist for treatment.
Judge Kent said he agreed with the prosecutor, Christine Wilson, who said the prevalence of child pornography was increasing due to the internet, which led to child abuse.
Remiens refused to comment outside court yesterday.