A former Prince George teacher will spend 90 days in jail, served over weekends, for possession of child pornography.
While the Crown sought six to nine months, provincial judge Michael Brecknell agreed with the defence's mandatory minimum request for the man, who cannot be named due to a publication ban.
The man, 49 at the time of the offences committed between June 2012 and January 2013, was described as "naive" when it came to the seriousness of his crime and the direct impact it has on victims.
"He never considered how his actions facilitated the production, distribution and viewing of child porn and the exploitation of the children," Brecknell said during his decision Wednesday "(He) explained his accessing child pornography as seeking shock value similar to watching TV shows like CSI and ... Dexter."
In November 2012, an investigator with the integrated child protection unit connected with the family's computer and found 17 files, some with worrisome connections to child porn. Two months later, on Jan. 31, 2013 RCMP executed a search warrant and seized two computers.
On one, they found four videos depicting children, ages seven to 12, engaged in sex acts with adult men. The assaults were described as in the "middle range" of violence, with no penetration.
He told police he used search "teen and preteen" as search terms, but expected it to produce content with 18 to 19 year olds. Three of the four viewed files were tagged "PTHC" or preteen hardcore.
The investigation showed "artifacts" of more files suggesting child pornography, but none were accessible for analysis.
Sentencing for child pornography invokes the principles of deterrence and denunciation, and Brecknell noted the offender had already experienced that in his personal life.
"In addition to the criminal sanctions, (he) has suffered a great deal through the loss of his ... teaching career, and his generous income, the loss of many friends and being investigated by the teacher regulation branch," said Brecknell, adding the impact of the sentence on his children has weighed heavily on the parents.
Court heard the man had worked for more than two decades in School District 57 and is now sporadically employed in the construction industry.
Character references described him as "trustworthy person of high moral character" and a "nurturing and loving spouse and parent" who is "taking responsibility for a horrible mistake."
His lack of criminal record, cooperation with RCMP and early guilty plea were considered mitigating factors "although he did tend to minimize some of his activities."
At one point during the proceedings, the man approached an RCMP officer to see if they could "make it all go away."
Though the offender pleaded guilty to two counts - possession and access - Brecknell ordered a conditional stay on the second count so the man wouldn't serve a lifetime on the sex offender list. Brecknell said 10 years on the list was more in line with the sentence and noted the two counts were essentially for the same crime.
Brecknell said it was unlikely the man posed a threat to children, but he will not be able to work or volunteer in a position of trust with children under 12 years old. The man will serve three years on probation and was ordered to provide a DNA sample.
