By Patrick Burles - @PatrickBurles on Twitter

Sentencing arguments heard in ‘egregious’ child porn case

Aug 15, 2017 | 5:12 PM

LETHBRIDGE – Sentencing arguments were made Tuesday afternoon (Aug. 15), in a child pornography case that the Crown called “one of the most egregious” she had ever worked on.

Crown prosecutor, Carolyn Ayre, suggested a term of 18-months in custody for John Tulloch, followed by three years of probation and his entry onto the sex offender registry for the next 20-years.

“[It was] one of the largest collections that I have seen in my time in the tech crime unit in Calgary,” Ayre said, of the 12,957 images and 250 videos of child pornography they found while examining Tulloch’s electronics. Of those, she said 11,000 images and 244 of the videos were graphic, while another 2,000 images and six videos were less graphic.

She added that 75 per cent of the collection involved babies.

During the three years of probation, she suggested that Tulloch have no contact with anyone under the age of 16, that he attend counselling as recommended by his probation officer, that he not possess any pornography and have no access to the internet. She also asked that he be prohibited from places such as schools, swimming pools and playgrounds where children would likely be present, and that he not be allowed to be employed or volunteer in a position that would put him in a position of trust for children.

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The defence countered with a recommendation of 12-months in jail, and agreed with the Crown on the terms and length of probation.

Defence lawyer, Mansoor Khan, said that a pre-sentence report prepared for Tulloch, shows he has a recognition that what he did was wrong. He noted that his client has no prior criminal record, offered a guilty plea and has since taken counselling, adding, “This was a wake-up call. At least now he’s receiving the therapy that he so desperately needs.”

John Tulloch leaving the courthouse following his sentencing hearing

Reading from a letter he wrote for the court, Tulloch said he suffers from a pornography addiction, and that he moved on to child porn to find something new.

“This is true hell,” he stated. “Some people may call me a monster, but I’m not… I’m no threat to anyone.”

After hearing from both sides, Judge Paul Pharo adjourned his decision until the end of October.

Tulloch was charged in June of 2016, as part of the Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Storm 3 Operation, focused on targeting individuals that were sharing photos or videos on peer-to-peer networks.

Tulloch in particular was found when an ICE detective started investigating a file sharing network called Gnutella. He found a user was in possession of child pornography, and tracked their IP address to a home in Lethbridge. A search of the home resulted in the seizure of numerous electronic devices and Tulloch’s arrest.

As part of Tulloch’s guilty plea – which he entered last March – it was noted that the offence dates range between Dec. 17, 2008 and Apr. 12, 2016.