The man’s lawyer asks for a suspended sentence instead of prison time

Article content

A Brantford man who claimed he was too drunk to remember downloading more than a hundred pornographic videos featuring young children failed to convince a judge he had been rehabilitated enough to avoid jail.

Article content

An attorney for Liam R. Bock, 25, said the young man is now sober and has been heavily involved in serving the community through volunteer work for several years.

“He was drinking daily and non-stop when these offenses occurred,” said Alison MacDonald.

“For three or four days he drank 26 ounces of vodka a day and two cases of coolers in the same time frame. That is extreme alcohol consumption.”

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

Bock, who grew up under traumatic circumstances, has also been receiving intensive counseling for several years, the lawyer said, and is successfully completing bail conditions in a local residential program.

Article content

“He fully acknowledges that these were his devices (confiscated), but he doesn’t remember anything due to his alcohol consumption,” MacDonald said.

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

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

MacDonald urged the judge to consider a long – and rare – suspended sentence for Bock’s crimes, saying that while they were “truly terrible, criminal, deviant, inappropriate and disgusting” crimes, incarceration would mean he would lose the progress he has made in relief efforts. and life skills.

But Assistant Crown Attorney Christine Lund asked for a three-year prison sentence, saying Bock had tried to “cover up” his offenses in a report prepared for the court.

Article content

“The spread (of the images) is aggravating and it is hard to believe that we have no memory of it,” Lund said.

“It calls into question the judgment of this offender and raises concerns about his rehabilitation.”

That denial raised the bar for what the Crown was asking for, she noted.

“It would have been appropriate to receive a two-year prison sentence with three years’ probation, but due to the lack of judgment, three years is justified.”

Bock told the judge he has been trying to fix himself for years through programming, volunteer work and therapy.

“If I can find more therapy and help, I would like to take it.”

Gee acknowledged that Bock had taken positive steps, but said his offenses were far too serious to merit a suspended sentence.

Article content

“You had a hard time at first – no one denies that – but the damage done by this kind of abuse is very, very serious. The people in those videos are harmed forever. They will never be the same people again.”

Gee said some of the pornographic material was “particularly disturbing” because of the ages of the children and the way it was shared with others.

‘I’m concerned about your explanation that you have little to no memory of it. It’s hard to accept saying, ‘Every time I was too drunk to remember.’

Gee said three years was the appropriate sentence.

Bock was ordered to provide a DNA sample and remained on the sex offender registry for twenty years. Once out of prison, he will be restricted from contact with children for ten years.

“I know this wasn’t the outcome you were hoping for,” the judge said, “but I hope you continue to get all the help you need so we don’t have to do this again.”

[email protected]

@EXPSGamble

Article content