Former Canberra police officer avoids jail over child porn charges
A former Canberra police officer has avoided jail after he was found guilty of accessing child pornography on the internet.
Earlier this year the 40-year-old man was found guilty in the ACT Supreme Court of three counts of accessing child pornography.
The ACT's Chief Justice Helen Murrell found the man had deliberately searched for the offensive images in 2012, and rejected his claims it was simply reckless.
The man had claimed at one stage he was doing research to help deal with children he was minding as a volunteer, which provided respite care for struggling families.
He was given a 12-month suspended sentence and a two-year good behaviour bond on the condition he complies with supervision and counselling.
Chief Justice Murrell found there was little need for personal deterrence, because the man had already suffered shame, embarrassment and humiliation at being revealed.
The man can not be named for legal reasons.
