Woree State High teacher pleads guilty to possessing child porn
- Caitlin Drysdale
- The Cairns Post
- October 21, 2014 7:49AM
A WOREE State High School music teacher has pleaded guilty to possessing graphic child pornography, after police found 180 illegal images on a computer, DVD and hard drive in his home.
Jason Dale Larkin, 29 pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing child exploitation materials and one count of using a carriage service to access child pornography.
The former teacher was arrested while at the school, and a search conducted on his home.
The images found were stored on his computer and hard drive using titles such as “14-year-old boy” and “pedo”.
The court heard they included young boys in sexually provocative poses and pictures of sexual intercourse between children and adults.
Mr Larkin admitted using “peer to peer” sites to find the images, searching terms such as “hidden camera” and “boys”.
He also ordered an illegal DVD from Canada.
“He said he would rather look at children than have sex with them,” his defence barrister Joshua Trevino said.
Judge Anthony Rafter questioned claims Mr Larkin “believed the websites were considered legitimate as they were not blocked by the Education Department”.
“It’s hard to accept that from an educated person,” he said.
Mr Trevino told the court “in my submission the court can be confident he is on the pathway to rehabilitation.”
But Crown prosector Kevin De Bonis pointed to the serious nature of the charges.
“This is not a victimless crime,” he said.
“The children themselves are the victims.”
Larkin was sentenced to 18 months’ jail, wholly suspended, for possessing child exploitation materials.
He was sentenced to 18 months’ jail for using a carriage service to access child pornography, also suspended, and with a $2000 two-year good behaviour bond.
The illegal images and his computer equipment will be destroyed.
Mr Trevino told the court his client understood his teaching career was over.
“He acknowledges and accepts his conduct renders him inappropriate … to teach young people,” he said.
The court heard he plans to pursue a career in hospitality.
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Aussie Sex Offenders 
This is ridiculous, an 18 month suspended sentence for having child porn on his computer, he should have got a 10 year sentence without parole not a 18 month suspended sentence.