Judge says child pornography is as serious as actual assault

9-25-2012 New Hampshire:

When a Salem man argued he should receive a suspended sentence in exchange for pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, the judge responded by explaining why he views the crime more seriously than he once did.

Zachary Gray, 20, was sentenced 2 to 4 years in state prison Wednesday morning on two counts of attempted possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty as part of a negotiated disposition.

Prosecutors focused their arguments on Gray’s criminal record, which included convictions for misdemeanor sexual assault and criminal threatening dating back to 2009.

Defense lawyer James Rosenberg argued that Gray was still a young man with a troubled past trying to turn around his life through a battery of counseling.

But Judge Kenneth McHugh said Gray’s case was more about deterring the public from committing similar crimes.

“I’m convinced this is as serious and sometimes a more serious crime than an actual sexual assault,” McHugh said while handing down the sentence.

His comments marked the second time in recent days that a Rockingham County judge said he believes child pornography needs to be taken more seriously by both the court and the public.

On Sept. 5, Judge N. William Delker sentenced a Hampstead man to 14 to 28 years in state prison for possession of child pornography — one of the longest in the county — after explaining that he believed the Legislature recently put more teeth in the law so more people would face state prison time.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Rosenberg noted his client was convicted of possessing only two images on his computer and had made significant strides in seeking sexual offender ...continued... by JAMES A. KIMBLE