Sourced by OzHouse.org
A JUDGE has questioned the fairness of jailing a sexually conflicted, devoutly religious man for indecently filming his friends and downloading child pornography.
District Court Judge Paul Cuthbertson today considered what sentence to impose on Anthony Kurt Power.
He said Power’s offending arose from a conflict between his social ineptitude, homosexual urges and strong religious beliefs.
“Because he was socially inept, he did not know how to cope with or bring out, in a lawful manner, his sexual urges,” Judge Cuthbertson said.
“The victims that criticise him for what they imply are clumsy sexual approaches possibly would not put it in such critical terms if it was a young man making passes at a woman.
“It must be a terrible thing to have a sexual desire that you cannot lawfully fulfil … for him it was illegal, in the sense it was against all his religious beliefs.”
Power, 28, of Wynn Vale, has pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in indecent filming, and two counts of engaging in the indecent filming of a minor.
He has also confessed to two counts of possessing child pornography.
Previously the court has heard that, while serving as a church youth leader, Power indecently filmed boys and men in his home, on church premises and at a Stockport camp.
He also downloaded 4403 images and 610 videos of child pornography, 3917 of which featured children under the age of 14.