Tourist ‘unaware’ of porn on hard drive

A German tourist who was caught with more than 1000 images of child pornography at Melbourne Airport was unaware the files were on his portable hard drive, a court has heard.

A German tourist who was caught with more than 1000 images of child pornography at Melbourne Airport was unaware the files were on his portable hard drive, a court has heard.

Steffen Wieczorek, 23, of Salzdahlum in eastern Germany, came to Australia in January to visit a friend. But when a customs officer searched his portable hard drive, he found more than 1000 animations, photographs and videos depicting child pornography.

Wieczorek pleaded guilty to one count of importing tier-two goods.

Prosecutor Krista Breckweg said Wieczorek told customs officers that he had downloaded movies, not pornography, onto the hard drive to share with the friend he was visiting. He said he knew there had been some child pornography on the drive, but thought he had deleted it.

“The pornographic images included images of children estimated to be as young as three,” she told County Court judge Lisa Hannan.

Peter Matthews, for Wieczorek, told the court that his client was a “computer nerd” who played online computer games and that last year he had attended a “network party” to swap files. “At the party a large amount of material was exchanged and it was during this process that that material came onto his hard drive.”

Wieczorek had deleted the images he was aware of, he said.

He asked Judge Hannan to impose a sentence of no more then five months โ€” the amount of time Wieczorek has spent in custody โ€” so he could be deported immediately.

Wieczorek was remanded in custody and will be sentenced today.

theage.com.au

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Linda Hohnholz

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