Port Elizabeth – A self-confessed porn addict was sentenced to an effective five years behind bars for "outrageous" crimes involving online sexual exploitation of babies and young children.
Following a guilty plea, Jayde Sheldon Bailey, 35, was convicted and sentenced in the Port Elizabeth Magistrate's Court on Thursday for having being involved in an international child pornography ring which depicted young children and babies being sexually exploited.
In passing down sentence, Magistrate Johan Herselman, said that the pictures were "outrageous in the extreme" and described horrific images the court had viewed.
Herselman described images depicting naked young children posing in provocative positions and in one instance, a baby with an umbilical cord still attached. Bailey used a file sharing programme called "gigatribe" where child pornography would be sent to and fro from one user to another, and although Bailey did not produce pornographic material, he benefited by making money off distributing pornographic material.
On the programme, paedophiles with a fetish for the sexual abuse of babies would have cyber conversations where they would view and discuss images depicting the torture, murder and rape of newborn babies.
Bailey was arrested last year in an international police operation called Cloud Nine.
Charges against him included the importing, possession and distribution of films or publications which contain depictions or descriptions which encourage or promote child pornography or the sexual exploitation of children.
Herselman stressed the seriousness of the crimes and said that the offences directly and indirectly targeted children who are the most vulnerable of society. "It's absolutely necessary to understand the impact of the crimes, the impact on the victim, the community and the family at large, and in a global context where images can go around the world in a matter of seconds.
"After listening to [Bailey's] personal circumstances, it was an inward struggle with myself. However, I decided that a non-custodial sentence would not be appropriate even though he is a first-time offender," said Herselman.
Subsequent to being sentenced, Bailey's attorney, Paul Roelofse brought an application for leave to appeal. Herselman granted Bailey leave to appeal his sentence and he was released on bail.
The matter was postponed until March 27 for Bailey's lawyer to file the necessary documentation.
Meanwhile, the case against a 22-year old Port Elizabeth woman alleged to be part of an international child pornography ring, was postponed in the city's magistrate's court on Thursday.
She, too, was arrested last year in the international police operation Cloud Nine and faces charges which include the procuring and possession of films or publications which contain depictions or descriptions which encourage or promote child pornography.
The case against her will resume on March 27 for a possible plea or trial date to be set.