Extreme intoxication no excuse for downloading child porn: judge

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A southwestern Ontario man who claimed he was too drunk to remember downloading more than 100 pornographic videos featuring young children failed to convince a judge he was sufficiently rehabilitated to deserve a prison sentence escape.

A defense attorney for Liam R. Bock, 25, said the Brantford resident is now sober and has been heavily involved in the community through volunteer work for several years.

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“He was drinking continuously every day when these offenses occurred,” Alison MacDonald said. “He consumed a 26-ounce bottle of vodka a day for three or four days and two cases of coolers during the same period. This is extreme alcohol consumption.”

In court, Bock pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography and distribution or sale of child pornography by sharing some images and videos.

Bock, who grew up under traumatic circumstances, has also been undergoing intensive counseling for several years, said his lawyer. She added that Bock successfully followed bail conditions in a local residential care program.

“He fully admits that these were his (seized) devices, but does not remember anything based on his alcohol consumption,” MacDonald said.

Judge Robert Gee was skeptical of Bock’s blackouts while he managed to download and have pornographic conversations on social media.

“He had an SD card with 197 images and 116 videos and was drunk every time they were downloaded or viewed?” the judge asked.

MacDonald urged the judge to consider a lengthy – and rare – conditional sentence for Bock’s crimes, saying that while they were “truly horrific, criminal, abnormal, inappropriate and heinous” crimes, incarceration would mean incarceration that he would lose the progress he had made in counseling and life skills.

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But deputy Crown attorney Christine Lund called for a three-year prison sentence, saying Bock had tried to “gloss over” his crimes in a pre-sentence report prepared for the court.

“The distribution (of the images) is aggravating and it seems hard to believe that you can’t remember everything,” Lund said. “It calls into question this offender’s insight and raises concerns about his rehabilitation.”

That denial raised the bar for the Crown’s demands, she added. “It might have been appropriate to impose a two-year prison sentence with three years suspended, but given the lack of insight, three years is warranted.”

Bock told the judge that he had worked for years to better himself through programming, volunteer work and therapy.

“If I can find more therapy and help, I would like to seek it out,” he said.

Gee acknowledged Bock had taken positive steps but said his offenses were far too serious to warrant a conditional sentence.

“They had a tough time in the beginning – no one disputes that – but the damage caused by this type of abuse is very, very serious,” Gee said. “The people in these videos will be harmed forever. They will never be the same people again.”

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Gee said some of the pornographic materials were “particularly disturbing” because of the children’s ages and the way they were shared with others.

“I am concerned about your statement that you have little or no recollection of this,” Gee said. “To say, ‘Every time I was too drunk to remember’ is hard to accept.”

Gee said three years was the appropriate sentence.

Bock was ordered to provide a DNA sample and remain on the sex offender list for 20 years. Once released from prison, he will be subject to restrictions on contact with children for 10 years.

“I know this was not the outcome you were hoping for,” the judge said, “but I hope you continue to get the counseling you need so we don’t have to deal with this again.” “

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