Adelaide ex-teacher avoids jail for second child pornography offence
A former Adelaide teacher who lost his job nearly 20 years ago for possessing child pornography has been given a three-year suspended sentence for a similar offence.
In 1997, James Charles Willis lost his job and was fined $3,000 after pleading guilty to possessing 28 items of child pornography.
On August 15 last year, Federal Police searched his home and seized USB sticks, DVDs and magazines, many of which were classified as containing low-level child pornography.
District Court Judge Paul Muscat said Willis, 69, had shown a disturbing lack of appreciation for the harm caused to children by his "insidious and vile crime".
This was despite being a "respected teacher" whose employment was terminated following his last conviction.
"It is clear that your previous experience with the courts has not deterred you from having an interest in child pornography," Judge Muscat said.
Willis pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.
He was jailed for 22 months with a nine-month non-parole period but was given a suspended sentence bond for three years.
Teacher claims an interest in Greek art
Judge Muscat said the recent material contained 165 images, 10 movies and six magazines depicting boys aged between 14 and 16 in erotic poses with no sexual activity.
"You participated in an interview with the police where you sought to justify your possession of the child pornography material," he said.
"You stated to the police and the psychologists that you find pictures of naked boys in their late teens 'beautiful'.
"You have described your interest in naked adolescent boys as 'equivalent to the Greek ideal', and by that I understand you to mean the perfect body image of a male, as depicted in Greek sculpture and classical art."
Willis denied that he gained any sexual arousal or attraction to the images of naked boys.
Judge 'anguished' over sentence
Judge Muscat said he "anguished over" whether or not to suspend the sentence.
He told Willis that "what tipped the scaled in (his) favour" was his remorse and accepted that he was "in need of professional help to deal with unhealthy sexual desires".
As part of his three-year good behaviour bond, Willis must seek treatment as directed by a corrections officer who will oversee his rehabilitation while on the bond.
"In the end I have exercised my discretion to allow you to remain within the community and receive treatment there," Judge Muscat said.
"I have given you the chance to stay out of prison, but I think you know well enough that if you do not accept this opportunity that you will have to go to jail and you are old enough and certainly intelligent enough to know that you must not commit a crime like this again, and you must seek treatment for your attraction to child pornography material.
"I think you know now that viewing this material is just as vile and evil as if you touched the children in those images."
