A Dunedin man says his social isolation led to an “online obsession” which spiralled into watching child abuse material, a court has heard. Timothy Andrew Kennard, 41, appeared in the Dunedin District Court on Friday after earlier admitting five charges of possessing objectionable publications, representing more than 4000 files downloaded over two months. The court heard that in July last year, Kennard’s internet activity came to the attention of international authorities. On September 12, police searched his Dunedin address and found the stash of child sexual abuse images, including cartoon images, on multiple devices. Kennard told police he had downloaded “large amounts” of the child sexual exploitation material but knew he had made a mistake and deleted “a majority of the content” a week before the raid, a police summary said. Yesterday, counsel Anne Stevens KC highlighted a psychological report which said her client displayed neurological differences consistent with being on the autism spectrum, though at a level that required minimal support. “His social disconnect as a young person and isolation was due to autism factors, and as he became more isolated . . . he developed this deviant online obsession,” she said. “He quite openly says ‘I have an addiction’.” Kennard admitted he needed to deal with his issues, which would be easier now the offending was out in the open, his lawyer said. “In many ways his life has been better since the search and seizure because it’s out in the open,” Mrs Stevens said. "He’s had to openly admit his addictions and to start dealing with them constructively.” Kennard had also made a donation to a charity, the court heard. Judge David Robinson acknowledged Kennard’s family, who were in the public gallery supporting him. He highlighted the harm caused to the “unknowable” victims in the material. "Real children have to be abused [in order for the material to be made] and there's always a lead-up to the making of the material that you see,” the judge said. “You are complicit in the actual abuse of these children that comes from supply and demand.” The judge noted Kennard had a “longstanding addiction to pornography that started at a young age” and continued. A pre-sentence report said the defendant was assessed as posing a medium risk of reoffending, and home detention was not recommended because his “isolated lifestyle” meant it would not be a punishment. Judge Robinson sentenced Kennard to 10 months’ home detention and 200 hours’ community work. He said the sentence was appropriate because of his background and “particular vulnerabilities which have manifested in this offending”. The defendant was also registered on the Child Sex Offender Register. felicity.dear@odt.co.nz
