A judge has sentenced a Powell River resident charged with producing and possessing child pornography to four months in jail.
At the end of June, Daniel Kressel pleaded guilty to charges of making or publishing child pornography and possession of child pornography.
On Wednesday, August 24, British Columbia Provincial Court Justice Margaret Rae sentenced Kressel to 90 days for producing child pornography and 30 days for possession of child pornography, to be served consecutively.
Crown counsel Ian Tully-Barr outlined the facts of the case. He reported that in the fall of 2010, the police received a CrimeStoppers tip that alleged Kressel was molesting children. The police started an investigation and subsequently learned that Kressel had convinced one of his ex-lovers to take pictures of her daughter, some of which were in the nude. Police, who confiscated Kressel’s computer, cell phone and PlayStation, found 43 pictures, including those of the his ex-lover’s daughter and others which appeared to have come from the Internet. Some of those pictures depicted hardcore sexual acts with children.
Tully-Barr recommended the sentence, pointing out to the judge that while Kressel was charged with serious offences, he did not have a criminal background, he pled guilty early on in the court proceedings, he has asked for help and the result of testing he has undergone indicates he is treatable. “He has lost his job, his marriage and his home,” Tully-Barr said. “He’ll have to start anew once he has finished his sentence.”
Tully-Barr also recommended that once Kressel completes his sentence, he should be on probation for three years.
Stacey McCausland, Kressel’s defence attorney, agreed with Tully-Barr’s recommendation. She noted that Kressel’s position from the beginning was that he needed help and rehabilitation was crucial in the matter.
McCausland also said that Kressel was “petrified of jail” and asked that he serve his time at the Ford Mountain Correctional Centre, a facility for inmates who are classified as sex offenders. The program there includes a program for sex offenders.
Rae agreed that custody was appropriate. “These are some of the most serious charges that come before the court,” she said.
As well as the four months in jail, Rae ordered a three-year probation after Kressel was released with conditions that include having to continue therapy and no contact with children 16 and under. There is also a mandatory DNA order that goes along with the charges and registration on the sex offender registry.
During the investigation, police discovered Kressel was having affairs with two other women and was expressing to them an interest in having sex with their children. Two women were arrested at the end of March. The woman who took photos of her daughter for Kressel still faces charges for the production of child pornography. A lone charge of conspiracy to commit sexual assault against the other woman has been dropped. The ministry of children and family development is still involved with the children and the names of both women remain under a publication ban to protect the identity of the children involved.
