R. v. D.C. et al., (2009) 351 N.B.R.(2d) 341 (CA)

• Judge: Deschênes, Robertson and Bell, JJ.A.
• Court: Court of Appeal (New Brunswick)
• Case Date: September 09, 2009
• Jurisdiction: New Brunswick
• Citations: (2009), 351 N.B.R.(2d) 341 (CA);2009 NBCA 59

R. v. D.C. (2009), 351 N.B.R.(2d) 341 (CA);

    351 R.N.-B.(2e) 341; 904 A.P.R. 341

MLB headnote and full text

Sommaire et texte intégral

[French language version follows English language version]

[La version française vient à la suite de la version anglaise]

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Temp. Cite: [2009] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. DE.013

Renvoi temp.: [2009] N.B.R.(2d) TBEd. DE.013

Her Majesty the Queen (appellant) v. D.C. and M.G. (respondents)

(15-09-CA; 2009 NBCA 59)

Indexed As: R. v. D.C. et al.

Répertorié: R. v. D.C. et al.

New Brunswick Court of Appeal

Deschênes, Robertson and Bell, JJ.A.

September 9, 2009.

Summary:

Résumé:

The accused were the mother and stepfather of the female victim. The victim was between the ages of 12 and 14 years at the time of the offences. The accused pleaded guilty to the following indictable offences: (1) possession of child pornography of unknown victims (s. 163.1(4) of the Criminal Code; (2) possession of child pornography of a known victim (s. 163.1(4)); (3) making child pornography of a known victim (s. 163.1(2)); (4) distributing child pornography of a known victim (s. 163.1(3)); and (5) endangering the morals of a child (s. 172(1)). The sentencing judge sentenced the accused to a 12-month conditional sentence plus three years' probation. The Crown applied for leave to appeal and, if leave were granted, appealed.

The New Brunswick Court of Appeal allowed the application, allowed the appeal and substituted a 12 month prison term.

Editor's Note: Certain names in the following case have been initialized or the case otherwise edited to prevent the disclosure of identities where required by law, publication ban, Maritime Law Book's editorial policy or otherwise.

Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4

Punishments (sentence) - Conditional sentence - When available or appropriate - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5848.9 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5813

Sentencing - Sentencing procedure and rights of the accused - Plea bargain or joint submission - Effect of - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5848.9 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5833

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Deterrence - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5848.9 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5848.7

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Denunciation or repudiation of conduct - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5848.9 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5848.9

Sentencing - Considerations on imposing sentence - Sexual offences against children (incl. child pornography) - The accused were the mother and stepfather of the 12 to 14 year-old female victim - The victim had dreams of a modelling career - The accused entered into a contract with a U.S. internet based agency - For $10,000, images of the accused were supplied to the agency, who, in turn, made them available on a paying American internet site - The images of the victim included "sexualized positions", "graphic descriptions of the sexual organs", "traditional pornography poses" and "traditional striptease displays" - The victim got $7,000, the accused kept $3,000 - The accused pleaded guilty to the following indictable offences: (1) possession of child pornography of unknown victims (s. 163.1(4) of the Criminal Code; (2) possession of child pornography of a known victim (s. 163.1(4)); (3) making child pornography of a known victim (s. 163.1(2)); (4) distributing child pornography of a known victim (s. 163.1(3)); and (5) endangering the morals of a child (s. 172(1)) - The sentencing judge ordered that the accused serve a 12 month conditional sentence, holding, among other things, that the "images of the child barely crossed the line between child pornography and artistic expression" - The New Brunswick Court of Appeal, stressing denunciation and general deterrence, and holding that a conditional sentence was inappropriate, substituted a 12 month prison term - The court held, among other things, that "the sentencing judge's attempt to minimize the seriousness of the offences on the basis that some pictures barely crossed the line into child pornography is simply misguided" - The court would have been disposed to impose a longer jail term were it not for a plea bargain for a 12-month term - See paragraphs 1 to 32.

Criminal Law - Topic 5874

Sentence - Manufacture, distribution or possession of obscene matter (incl. child pornography) - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5848.9 ].

Criminal Law - Topic 5981

Sentence - Corrupting children - [See Criminal Law - Topic 5848.9 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5720.4

Peines (sentence) - Emprisonnement avec sursis - Circonstances permettant ou justifiant l'emprisonnement avec sursis - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5720.4 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5813

Détermination de la peine - Procédure et droits du prévenu - Marchandage de la peine ou recommandation conjointe - Effet - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5813 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5833

Détermination de la peine - Facteurs considérés lors de l'infliction de la peine - Dissuasion - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5833 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5848.7

Détermination de la peine - Facteurs considérés lors de l'infliction de la peine - Dénonciation ou répudiation de la conduite - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5848.7 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5848.9

Détermination de la peine - Facteurs considérés lors de l'infliction de la peine - Infractions sexuelles contre des enfants (y compris la pornographie juvénile) - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5848.9 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5874

Peine - Fabrication, distribution ou possession de matériel obscène (y compris la pornographie juvénile) - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5874 ].

Droit criminel - Cote 5981

Peine - Corruption d'enfants - [Voir Criminal Law - Topic 5981 ].

Cases Noticed:

R. v. Cassidy (C.A.) (2006), 302 N.B.R.(2d) 86; 784 A.P.R. 86; 2006 NBQB 299 (T.D.), consd. [para. 11].

R. v. Hewlett (J.J.) (2002), 312 A.R. 165; 281 W.A.C. 165; 2002 ABCA 179, consd. [para. 21].

R. v. Sharpe (J.R.), [2001] 1 S.C.R. 45; 264 N.R. 201; 146 B.C.A.C. 161; 239 W.A.C. 161; 2001 SCC 2, consd. [para. 24].

R. v. Shelton (C.J.G.) (2006), 391 A.R. 177; 377 W.A.C. 177; 2006 ABCA 190, consd. [para. 24].

R. v. Hunt (W.E.) (2002), 303 A.R. 240; 273 W.A.C. 240; 2002 ABCA 155, consd. [para. 25].

R. v. Nash (A.W.) (2009), 340 N.B.R.(2d) 320; 871 A.P.R. 320; 2009 NBCA 7, leave to appeal refused (2009), 400 N.R. 387 (S.C.C.), consd. [para. 27].

R. v. Cyr (R.W.), [2006] A.R. Uned. 31; 2006 ABCA 114, refd to. [para. 28].

R. v. Spiller (1969), 68 W.W.R.(N.S.) 187 (B.C.C.A.), refd to. [para. 28].

R. v. Howe (P.L.) (2007), 330 N.B.R.(2d) 204; 845 A.P.R. 204; 2007 NBCA 84, refd to. [para. 28].

R. v. R.F.G. (2006), 308 N.B.R.(2d) 133; 797 A.P.R. 133; 2006 NBCA 104, refd to. [para. 29].

R. v. C.P., [2008] N.B.R.(2d) Uned. 118; 2008 NBCA 77, consd. [para. 29].

Counsel:

Avocats:

Karen Lee Lamrock, for the appellant;

Hazen L. Brien, for the respondents.

This application for leave to appeal and appeal were heard on September 9, 2009, by Deschênes, Robertson and Bell, JJ.A., of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal. The following decision of the Court of Appeal was delivered on September 9, 2009, with written reasons delivered in both official languages on November 26, 2009, by Deschênes, J.A.