A Yellowknife man who collected, viewed and shared more than 1,000 images and videos of child pornography will spend almost 14 more months in jail.
Gary Stephen Miller, 63, was sentenced in Yellowknife on Friday. He had pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on August 19.
NWT Supreme Court Justice Karan Shaner sentenced Miller to 16 months in custody – which, deducting credit for time already served, means he will remain in jail for 13 months and 24 days.
Justice Shaner, who watched samples of the child pornography collected by Miller during an earlier hearing, said all of the material he possessed was “disturbing and, frankly, sick”.
She added: “The children varied in age but they were all just that – children. In my view, these images and videos depicted nothing short of torture.”
More than half of Miller’s collection involved adults engaged in sexual activity with children. One item featured bestiality.
Background: YK child porn addict describes destroying his life, and others
In August, Miller told the court he had lost his job at the Ekati mine, his family and his friends as a result of his crime, for which he was arrested in May 2014.
Justice Shaner acknowledged Miller’s guilty plea, his remorse and his attempts to seek specialized counselling at a personal cost of some $8,000.
However, she said the size of his child pornography collection and his sharing of that collection with others, through online peer-to-peer networks, were aggravating factors.
“His loss,” added Shaner, “pales in comparison to what child pornography costs its victims. They continue to be victimized and reminded of their plight and experiences.”
Miller, in a dark suit, spoke only once on Friday – to confirm he understood the sentence handed down.
Internet access
His sentence includes three further years of probation and a range of conditions. He must abstain from pornography in all forms for a decade and, for the same period of time, may not seek any employment or volunteer work that would place him in a position of trust in regard to those aged under 16.
Once released, he may have no contact with anyone aged under 16 without the specific authorization of the court, or a probation officer, for 10 years. He will remain on the National Sex Offender Registry throughout that time.
However, Justice Shaner said Miller would be allowed a computer with internet access upon his return to society. “It is unrealistic to expect a person to function without access to the internet in this day and age,” she said.
Technology owned by Miller may be inspected at any time and he must make all passwords available.
The defence had sought a sentence closer to the six-month mandatory minimum for Miller, arguing he had made a genuine effort to change and understood the profound consequences of his actions.
The Crown, meanwhile, had asked for an 18-month sentence.
