A Halifax man caught with 24 images of child pornography on his iPhone has been sentenced to six months in jail.
Garnet Ray Thacker, 57, was arrested last summer after members of the Halifax Regional Police-RCMP internet child exploitation unit searched his home on Herring Cove Road.
Thacker pleaded guilty last month in Halifax provincial court to a charge of possessing child pornography and was sentenced Wednesday.
Judge Flora Buchan accepted a joint sentencing recommendation from lawyers for the mandatory-minimum jail sentence for the offence, followed by two years’ probation.
Crown attorney Sylvia Domaradzki told the court local police commenced their investigation after receiving information from the National Child Exploitation Co-ordination Centre in Ottawa that two images of suspected child pornography had been uploaded from an IP address in Halifax.
Police were able to trace the activity to Thacker’s residence. Officers executed a search warrant Aug. 28, seized electronic devices and laid charges against Thacker and his common-law wife, Edna Margaretia Murphy, 42.
Thacker admitted to police that he had texted images of child pornography to his wife in an attempt to spice up their sex life.
He told police that his wife’s immediate response was: “What are you doing? Why are you sending these to me?” He said she wanted nothing to do with the images and he didn’t share them with anyone else.
Forensic analysis of the seized devices turned up 24 images on Thacker’s iPhone of children between the ages of four and 12 being sexually abused. Domaradzki described the pictures as “horrific.”
No child pornography was found on Murphy’s devices, the prosecutor said.
Defence lawyer Brian Bailey said Thacker and Murphy remain in a committed relationship. He said his client has been employed until now but doesn’t know if he’ll be able to go back to his job after he is released from jail.
“Mr. Thacker is very remorseful, very sorry and has assured me there will be no repetition of these events,” Bailey said.
While on probation, Thacker must take part in the provincial sex offender assessment and treatment program, as well as mental health counselling if it’s deemed necessary by his probation officer.
He can only use the internet for employment and education purposes and for communicating with his wife.
The judge ordered Thacker to register as a sex offender for 10 years and provide a sample of his DNA for a national databank. She also granted a forfeiture order for the iPhone.
“I hope you’ve learned a lesson,” Buchan said to Thacker.
The Crown withdrew a distribution charge against Thacker and a possession charge against Murphy, who had been scheduled to be arraigned next month.
