The conviction of an Auckland webmaster charged with a range of internet pornography charges, has reinforced the Department of Internal Affairs view that internet offending is committed by real people in real places and not in "cyberspace".
Philip Carlton Batty, 33, was sentenced yesterday by Judge Thomas Everitt, in Auckland District Court.
He was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling $6440 and to do 100 hours community work on 22 charges relating to possession and distribution of videos and pictures of children being sexually abused, women being raped and bestiality.
The Department's censorship compliance manager Steve O'Brien said that part of Batty's defence had been that the website he administered from Auckland was based in the United States and, therefore, New Zealand courts had no jurisdiction.
Judge Everitt disagreed strongly with Batty's argument, stating in his written judgment: "It is contrary to common sense and the intention of Parliament that a person such as Mr Batty can escape the court's jurisdiction merely by using a server in an overseas country. "
Mr O'Brien said that Judge Everitt's decision strengthens New Zealand's censorship law, helping it meet the challenges of the internet.
"We are catching a steady flow of offenders - this was our third case to be sentenced in a week and the courts have shown that they will not let offenders hide behind spurious arguments about cyberspace or 'where is the internet?'."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3378486a11,00.html
Anyone else find it disturbing that this guy who was selling CP, *********** and Rape movies got put in the 'internet pornographer' group?
Why dont these people realize that 99% of us have nothing to do with that type of content?
Regards,
Lee
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Originally Posted by Lee
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