A 51-year-old New Westminster man will spend 10 months behind bars after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography.
Scott Harrison was arrested in April 2020 and eventually charged with one count of possessing child pornography contrary to section 163.1(4) of the Criminal Code of Canada, according to New West police (NWPD).
Harrison, according to BC Court Services, was also given a two-year probation order during his court appearance last Monday, Aug. 26.
The sentence comes five years after NWPD's Major Crime Unit began an investigation in 2019 into child pornography being uploaded online by a local resident.
Spokesperson Sgt. Andrew Leaver believes this should not only serve as a reminder that sharing a sexually explicit image of a child is always illegal, but that parents and guardians should have a conservation with children about cyber safety.
“Behind each image of child sexual abuse is a real child,” said Leaver.
“It is our duty to shed light on this form of exploitation. We typically make this recommendation at the start of the school year, and that is to double check your social media privacy settings and speak with kids about how to stay safe online.”
'Several' sextortion reports to New West police prompts scam warning https://t.co/G1hY1t3NwR
— The Record (@TheRecord) September 4, 2024
For more information and resources on online safety, you can visit the Canadian Centre for Child Protection website.
Anyone who believes they are a victim of sexual exploitation is encouraged to contact NWPD at 604-525-5411 or call 9-1-1 if in an emergency.
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