http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2010/11/01/sex-offender-court-lismore/
Sex offender on child porn charges
Ross Irby | 1st November 2010
A CONVICTED Lismore sex offender listed on the Child Protection Register has been put on a four-year good behaviour bond after pleading guilty in Lismore Local Court to five counts of possessing child pornography.
Dennis Johnson, 27, appeared for sentence before Magistrate R. Denes on Thursday after pleading guilty last month to having the images on his mobile phone, a USB stick and MP3 player police seized from his room at a Lismore hotel in February.
The offender, with previous offences for malicious damage, assault, break and enter and child protection offences, came under police notice on February 5 when he was seen by officers with his bicycle in Heritage Park near a children’s play area and skate park.
Police documents before the court state Johnson must keep away from areas where children frequent or play, including public swimming pools or within 50m of schools and their grounds, because he was on the Child Protection Register.
Johnson, who is deaf and mute, communicated with police that day using pen and paper before he was searched.
On his mobile phone were found two images police state depicted naked children under the age of 16 and aged between eight and 12.
Johnson communicated to police he downloaded the pictures in a public library from a Russian website.
His room was then searched and more images were found on the MP3 player and USB.
It was said during his previous court appearance by defence lawyer Steve Bolt that some of the 22 images found in the possession of his client were copies of the same image that had been recorded on the different devices.
Described as a difficult sentencing exercise Ms Denes took into account all matters put before her by defence and prosecution including the categories the pornographic images fell into using the European Copine scale that evaluates and determines the level of seriousness.
The images were regarded as not being in the worst categories on the scale of one to 10 (worst).
Two of the images were found to be in category eight, one in category six, and the remainder at level five, four and below.
Police officers in the Richmond Target Action Group found no evidence of Johnson having shared the images by forwarding them to anyone else.
He will be supervised by Probation Services during the four years.
http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2010/09/04/pornography-lismore-court/
Naked images of children on phone
Ross Irby | 4th September 2010
A LISMORE man registered on the Child Protection Register that bans him from frequenting places where children play or spend time, has pleaded guilty in Lismore Local Court to five counts of possessing child pornography.
Dennis Johnson, 27, was arrested by Lismore police on February 5 after officers saw him in Heritage Park with his bicycle near a children’s play area and skate park.
Police facts before the court yesterday state Johnson is deaf and mute. Officers communicated with him using pen and paper then searched him.
On his mobile phone were found two images police state depicted naked children under the age of 16 and aged between eight and 12.
One image depicted a naked adult male assaulting a naked female aged under 16.
Johnson communicated to police he downloaded the images on a library computer from a Russian internet site.
Police state in the document that because Johnson was on the Child Protection Register he should not have been in Heritage Park because it was frequented by children.
Police also examined an MP3 player and USB taken from his residence. After professional evaluation 22 images were deemed to be child pornography using the internationally recognised Copine scale.
Defence lawyer Steve Bolt said some of the images had been of the same image that had been recorded on separate devices.
Prosecutor Sgt Peter Costin-Neilsen said there was no evidence the images had been forwarded by Johnson to anyone else.
After reading police details of the charges Magistrate Robyn Denes said that because of the previous charges that caused Johnson to be placed on the register a pre-sentence report was needed because it was a difficult sentencing exercise.
Ms Denes said she wanted to know what Johnson was doing and whether there were any programs in place to assist him.
Mr Bolt said the first matter had been more serious than his client’s latest offence and it was likely he would seek a supervised good behaviour bond for Johnson.
An Auslan interpreter was used during the court hearing.
Johnson will be sentenced on October 28.
http://www.northernstar.com.au/story/2010/02/10/man-on-child-porn-charges-gets-bail/
Man on child porn charges bailed
Ross Irby | 10th February 2010
A LISMORE man has been ordered not to go near children’s play areas, schools, public parks and swimming pools after being granted court bail following his charging by police over child pornography allegations.
Dennis Johnson, 27, was charged on February 5 with producing and disseminating child pornography, contravening a prohibition order (being subject to a child protection prohibition order when in an area prohibited to him).
Johnson, who is deaf, required an Auslan interpreter while making his bail application before magistrate Robyn Denes.
Through his interpreter he said he was pleading not guilty to both charges.
Police opposed bail and documents before the court stated there had been a previous breach of a prohibition order with Johnson on a bond at the time of the latest allegation.
Concern was expressed for Johnson’s welfare if he remained in custody.
Following a break in court proceedings Ms Denes said that despite police objections she would give him conditional bail.
When she asked if his special phone had been seized Johnson’s lawyer said it had.
Johnson was granted bail and ordered to report daily to Lismore police with conditions that he not approach children, did not access the internet from any computer or phone, and not go within 50m of any school or children’s play area including public swimming pools.
Ms Denes also ordered him not to buy a new phone.
His lawyer said there was a special teletext type phone he used at Lismore Base Hospital that Ms Denes also barred him from using.
“You must not access the internet with a phone,” Ms Denes emphasised.
Through his interpreter Johnson said he understood the bail conditions.
The matter was adjourned to March 22.
Aussie Sex Offenders 