Sharpe Sentenced To House Arrest For Child Porn

Originally published by The Canadian Press, September 27, 2002

Vancouver — The man who took his fight against Canada's child pornography laws to the country's highest court will be tried by a judge and jury on new charges.

In a brief appearance in provincial court on Friday, John Robin Sharpe elected to skip a preliminary hearing and go straight to a judge and jury trial.

Mr. Sharpe was charged Aug. 26 with gross indecency and indecent assault against a boy police believe was about 12 to 13 years old at the time.

The new charges relate to photographs seized six years ago that were taken between 1979 to 1982 in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island.

Police said the man came forward after investigators issued a public appeal to a victim pictured in child porn photos.

They have said there may be more charges as investigators continue to probe the identities of boys depicted in hundreds of photographs.

The retired city planner sparked a national debate on Canada's child pornography law in 1999 when he was facing charges of distributing child pornography related to graphic child sex stories he had written.

Mr. Sharpe successfully argued to have the charge dismissed because Canada's child pornography law contravened freedom-of-speech provisions for capturing works of the imagination.

The B.C. Court of Appeal upheld that ruling.

The case then went to the Supreme Court of Canada, which concluded the country's law banning child pornography is constitutional, but there are exceptions, including artistic merit.

In May, Mr. Sharpe was acquitted of the distribution charge but convicted of possession of child pornography and sentenced to four months house arrest.

Mr. Sharpe told the judge Friday he would like a review of his bail conditions, which prohibit him from contact with the complainant and barred him from being alone with anyone under the age of 16, among other things.

Mr. Sharpe returns to court Oct. 11.