Friday, October 10, 2003

Case of Leeore Batshaw

Case of Leeore Batshaw
Psychology Student at The University of Winnipeg
 
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Leeore Batshaw is an Israeli native, who came to Canada to study at the University of Winnipeg was arrested in May 2002, after a computer repair man discovered illegal images on his hard drive.  Police found 132 images of child pornography on Batshaw's computer. Leeore Batshaw admitted he'd been looking at child porn for the last four years. 

Batshaw  pleaded for mercy from a judge, saying a criminal record for child pornography would ruin his dream of becoming a psychologist. 

Originally Leeore Batshaw was given a conditional discharge, which would have left him without a criminal record, yet Manitoba's highest court overturned the lax sentence.  The sentence was changed to a 12-month conditional sentence, which means he will have a prison record. Batshaw was also required to perform 200 hours of community service and participate in sex-offender counselling.

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Table of Contents: 

2003 
  1. Man pleads for mercy in child-porn case Psychology student says record would kill career (10/10/2003)
  2. Repair reveals porn - Guilty plea to kid smut charge  (10/10/2003)

2004
  1.  Lax sentence for child porn overturned (07/01/2004)

2009
  1. 'Dark Ages' decisionBureaucrat gets blast for giving kid-porn user temporary freedom (01/41/2009)

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Man pleads for mercy in child-porn case Psychology student says record would kill career
By Mike McIntyre
Friday, Oct 10,  2003 - Free Press


A University of Winnipeg student pleaded for mercy from a judge yesterday, saying a criminal record for child pornography will ruin his dream of becoming a psychologist. Leeore Batshaw, 24, said he's been "scared straight" by his arrest two years ago and a conditional discharge would be proper punishment.

The Crown is seeking a conditional sentence, which would register as a conviction on his criminal record.

Provincial court Judge Susan Devine reserved her decision following a half-day hearing in which police showed the judge graphic photos of children as young as six engaged in sexual activity.

Police found 132 images of child pornography on Batshaw's computer, along with a selection of adult pornography.

Crown attorney Jill Duncan said Batshaw was viewing the images for several hours each day. Duncan said child pornography sentences have been getting increasingly more stringent and urged Devine to follow that recent trend.

"The courts have to start getting tough on these offences in the name of deterrence," she said.

"These horrible pictures you have seen today will last forever on the Internet. These children are victimized every time someone like Mr. Batshaw looks at them."

Batshaw came to Canada from his native Israel and has been maintaining high grades at university while majoring in philosophy and psychology.

Defence lawyer Kevin Sneesby said his client -- who has overcome dyslexia -- will be disqualified from the field of psychology if he has a criminal record.

"I am here asking for a second chance. I feel I don't pose a harm to anyone," Batshaw said yesterday in court. "I realize these pictures were crimes in progress." No date was set for Devine's decision.

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Repair reveals porn - Guilty plea to kid smut charge
By David Schmeichel
Winnipeg Sun - Friday, October 10, 2003

 
It's an unspeakably ugly crime and its victims are countless, but child pornography's perpetrators can come from all walks of life, court heard yesterday.

 
'DIRTY SECRET'
"It is a crime that is committed in secret," said Crown attorney Jill Duncan. "People can live fine, upstanding, apparently pro-social lives and have a dirty secret lurking in their computer."

Duncan made her comments yesterday at the sentencing hearing of Leeore Batshaw, a 24-year-old who pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography.

Batshaw was arrested in May 2002, after a computer repairman discovered illegal images on his hard drive. A subsequent police investigation turned up close to 100 images, many of which had been saved, duplicated or copied to disks.

Batshaw co-operated fully with police, admitting he'd been looking at child porn for the last four years and expressing a desire to undergo treatment for his apparent addiction.

Duncan expressed doubts about Batshaw's remorse, however, noting it appeared to have more to do with getting caught than with any real sense of empathy with the victims.

Duncan told court the Crown has been recommending stiffer sentences in recent cases.

"If there is no demand, then there need be no supply," she said. "And if there is no supply, then children need not continue to be victimized."

In this case, Duncan is seeking a conditional sentence, while Batshaw's defence counsel has suggested a conditional discharge.

Provincial Judge Susan Devine reserved decision until next week.

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Lax sentence for child porn overturned
Winnipeg Sun  - Thursday, July 01, 2004

Manitoba's highest court has overturned the lax sentence granted to a young man who collected what a judge called "depraved" child pornography.

Leeore Batshaw had been given a conditional discharge, which would have left him without a criminal record.

But the Manitoba's Court of Appeal changed that to a 12-month conditional sentence, which means he will have a prison record.

Batshaw, who now lives in Calgary, will also be required to perform 200 hours of community service and participate in sex-offender counselling. 



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'Dark Ages' decision


Bureaucrat gets blast for giving kid-porn user temporary freedom
By Ross Romaniuk
Winnipeg Sun - January 4, 2009 


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