PORT ELIZABETH - PE COURT SENTENCES PORN ADDICT TO 5 YEARS BEHIND BARS

A confessed porn addict was sentenced to an effective five years behind bars for “outrageous” crimes involving online sexual exploitation of babies and young children.

Following a guilty plea, Jayde Sheldon Bailey, 35, was convicted and sentenced in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for having being involved in an international child pornography ring that depicted young children and babies being sexually exploited.

In passing down the sentence, Magistrate Johan Herselman said that the pictures were “outrageous in the extreme”.

Herselman described images the court had been shown that depicted naked young children posed in provocative positions. In one instance, a baby with an umbilical cord still attached was included.

Bailey used a file-sharing programme called “gigatribe” on which child pornography would be sent between users.

Although Bailey did not produce pornographic material, he benefited by making money from distributing pornographic material.

On the programme, paedophiles would view and have cyber conversations about images depicting the torture, murder and rape of newborn babies.

Bailey was arrested last year in an international police operation called Cloud Nine. Charges against him included the importing, possession and distribution of films or publications which contain depictions or descriptions that encourage or promote child pornography or the sexual exploitation of children.

Herselman stressed the seriousness of the crimes and said that they directly and indirectly targeted children, who are the most vulnerable of society.

“It’s absolutely necessary to understand the impact of the crimes, the impact on the victim, the community and the family at large, and in a global context where images can go around the world in a matter of seconds.

“After listening to [Bailey’s] personal circumstances, it was an inward struggle with myself. However, I decided that a non-custodial sentence would not be appropriate even though he is a first-time offender,” said Herselman.

Herselman granted Bailey leave to appeal his sentence and he was released on bail.

The matter was postponed until 27 March for Bailey’s lawyer to file the necessary documentation.

VIA - enca