Sydney – A 31-year-old Japanese man who attempted to import material that featured child abuse into Australia in November has been sentenced to 16 months in prison, the country’s border protection agency said Wednesday.
The man, who arrived in the Western Australia capital of Perth on a tourist visa from Tokyo, was found to have more than 1,000 videos that included footage of child abuse on his mobile phone, according to the Australian Border Force.
The man has pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to import a prohibited item. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to AU$525,000 ($348,000), or both.
Judge Fiona Vernon of the District Court of Western Australia said the 31-year-old must serve a minimum of eight months from the date of his arrest, and pay a $5,000 good-behavior bond covering a further eight months following his release, according to the agency.
On his arrival in the country in November, Australian Border Force officers found roughly 200 videos and images depicting the sexual abuse or exploitation of children on the Japanese national’s phone.
A further digital forensic examination of the phone found hundreds more videos stored in an application, the agency said.
The man is expected to be deported after he is released from prison.
In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.