Ex-chaplain gets 15 months over child porn

Supporters of jailed former chaplain Matthew David O'Meara speak to reporters outside court. Picture: Kaitlyn Offer Source: PerthNow

Former Perth College chaplain Matthew David O'Meara has been sentenced to 15 months in jail over possessing child pornography. Picture: Richard Polden Source: PerthNow

A FORMER Perth College chaplain has been sentenced to 15 months imprisonment after being found guilty of possessing child pornography.

A District Court jury found Matthew David O’Meara guilty on Monday, following his three week trial over four counts of possessing child pornography after USBs were found containing photos and videos of young girls on them at Perth College in August 2010.

In sentencing, Judge Ronald Birmingham said O'Meara's offending "struck at the very heart of the trust" imposed on him by Perth College when they employed him as head chaplain at the all-girls school.

"They were entitled to expect more from you," he said.

Almost 450 images were found in O'Meara's possession on the two thumb drives and deleted from his home computer, including images and movies of young girls performing sexual acts.

Judge Birmingham said the evidence left no doubt O'Meara "had a tendency or a sexual interest in young girls."

He said O'Meara had hid behind a mask to friends and family and insistence that others were responsible for the images on the thumb drives showed he had "no remorse."

"That you fall from such a height is largely the result of a self-inflicted wound," he said.

Despite the guilty verdict, O'Meara maintains his innocence and outside court his lawyers said he would be considering an appeal against the conviction.

Defence counsel Laurie Levy told Judge Birmingham during his submissions that in the two years and seven months since his client was charged, O'Meara had become "professionally and financially ruined."

He also said O'Meara's job prospects were non-existent because for more than 14 years he had worked as a teacher and a chaplain. Th Anglican Church has revoked his pastoral licence.

This evening his wife Karina, parents and sister expressed their ongoing support for him.

"We all believe that he has suffered a terrible injustice, a brutal injustice and we have to do what we can to regroup," Mrs O'Meara told reporters outside court.

O'Meara was sentenced to six months imprisonment for counts one and four and nine months for counts two and three.

However Judge Birmingham said count two was to be the head sentence, with counts one and three to be served concurrently and count four to be served accumulative, totalling 15 months.

O'Meara will be eligible for parole after seven and a half months.

View the original article here

Possible WA child porn pics on Facebook

WA police are investigating a Facebook page after complaints about possible child exploitation material. Source: AP

West Australian police are investigating a Facebook page after several complaints about possible child exploitation material.

Detectives are liaising with Facebook staff to identify who was responsible for posting the images and comments.

"Police are attempting to ascertain the identity of the people in the photos, as well as determine their ages,'' a spokeswoman said.

"If the images are people under the age of 18, posing in a sexually explicit manner, then it is illegal to post them online.''

The maximum penalty for distributing child exploitation material in WA is 10 years imprisonment.
Anyone convicted of this crime would also go on the Sex Offenders Register.

Police are reminding the public never to send pictures of themselves to anyone they do not know.

"Do not provide your personal information, including name, home address, phone number or school over the internet,'' the spokeswoman said.

"Pressing 'send' is definite and final - you can't get it back or take it down.''
 

View the original article here

Family ordered to return adopted child

A WA couple who adopted an abandoned baby from the Philippines in 2009 say they are devastated after being told they cannot keep the toddler.

A WA couple who adopted an abandoned baby from the Philippines say they are devastated after being told they cannot keep the child.

The parents, who do not wish to be named, legally adopted the child in 2009 but because neither parent lived overseas for 12 months when the adoption took place, their child has been refused the right to live in Australia permanently.

This is despite the fact she has been living here for the past three years.

"I am devastated," the child's mum told The Sunday Times.

"Our child is getting the best care, love and attention from us."

While staying at a Manila hotel on a visit to the Philippines, the woman found the abandoned child outside her room.

A search for the baby's mother led to an unmarried, jobless teenager.

The woman said she could not leave the child without proper care and started the adoption process.

The couple were told the child had to remain in Manila while they applied for a visa on "compelling and compassionate circumstances" because neither the woman nor her husband had been living overseas for more than 12 months when the adoption took place.

About 12 months later the child came to Perth on a bridging visa. Last month the couple were told their application for a permanent family visa had been denied by the Migration Review Tribunal.

The child's bridging visa runs out on Tuesday.

The couple said they had written to Immigration Minister Brendan O'Connor for help and were continuing to apply for bridging visas on their child's behalf.

The said they would even leave Australia in the worst case scenario.

The tribunal found that while some of the woman's claims about not inquiring about the adoption process in Australia to be "problematic", it accepted the woman lawfully adopted the child and there appeared to be a "genuine emotional bond between the two parties".

But it said there were no "compelling or compassionate circumstances" to override the 12-month overseas residence rule.

View the original article here