genderberg.com - Brothel owner had 10,000 child porn pics; court

AAP NEWS : MELBOURNE, Oct 11 AAP - A former Melbourne brothel manager who kept more than 10,000 child pornography pictures needed treatment and not jail, a magistrate said today.

Australian Federal Police seized CDs with 10,808 pornographic images, 34 videos and a computer hard drive during a raid at the North Balwyn home of Paul Pick in July last year, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard.

Senior Constable Annmarie Hindle said sexual crime squad analysts found a number of graphics on the hard drive. "Approximately 1,900 of these images constituted child pornography," she said. Defence counsel Paul Galbally said Pick, 45, admitted possessing the pornography, but disputed a second charge of making or producing the images.

The pictures had been downloaded from computer to disc for personal use, he said. "There is no suggestion of dissemination of the material," he said. Mr Galbally tendered two reports which he said showed his client suffered from major depressive illness and had long-term psychiatric problems.

Magistrate Reg Marron said while it was "certainly a jailable offence", he felt Pick would not be best served by a prison term. He said he understood the prosecution agreed the discs were for personal storage alone. "I take the view in relation to this matter the principle concern the court ought to have is treatment," he said. Mr Marron said possible sentencing options included a community-based order and a suspended jail term. He ordered Pick be assessed before sentencing next week. Pick was arrested before the start of Operation Auxin, a national crackdown that has so far has netted more than 200 people allegedly involved in child pornography.

<<AAP NEWS -- 10/11/04>>