Child porn conviction

Henry Earl Johnston will serve 15-months in jail for possession of child pornography.

The Gander resident, aretired RCMP officer and former staff sergeant, plead guilty earlier in the week to the charge, which was part of a national child pornography investigation called Operation Salvo.

The 72-year-old will also be on probation for three years once he completes his sentence, and will be listed as a registered sex offender for 10 years, according to the sentence handed out last Friday at the Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court in Gander by Justice Raymond Halley.

Mr. Johnston will also pay a fine of $100.

In handing down his decision, Justice Halley noted the defendant had entered counselling, shown remorse and accepted full responsibility for his actions, had been an otherwise good citizen to the community, and had been suffering from high blood pressure, arthritis, and cardiac arrhythmia.

"The offender has been publicly humiliated, and is shunned by most members of his community," said Justice Halley.

He also said because the videos depicting minors in sexual situations had been downloaded free from the Internet, and thus did not contribute to the sexual victimization of those in the videos. Mr. Johnston had no prior criminal record.

However, Justice Halley said the nature of videos - 20 in all - was abhorrent.

Before his sentencing, Mr. Johnston chose to address the court. He apologized to his family and friends for the pain he had caused them since being arrested last March.

He also criticized the media for reporting false facts relating to the case, adding that such action can cause collateral damage to the innocent.

Operation Salvo was said to be the largest child pornography investigation of its kind in the country. Commencing in November 2008, it involved the collaboration of over 30 police agencies across Canada, and resulted in over 50 arrests.

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