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July 28, 2016 - 2:54 PM
KAMLOOPS - The former director of graduate studies at Thompson Rivers University will have to spend 90 days in prison, but he'll be out in the community while he serves his sentence.
Andrew McKay was sentenced in Kamloops Provincial Court today, July 28, on one count of possessing child pornography.
Ninety days is the mandatory minimum sentence for a person convicted of a child pornography charge. It's also mandatory for the person to register as a sex offender for 10 years.
McKay will be serving his sentence on weekends, including the extra day on long weekends.
The former university administrator will also serve one year on probation after serving his time, in which he will have to attend sex offender counselling and treatment.
McKay was found with child pornography May 12, 2014. Judge Mayland McKimm read in his decision today that McKay failed to print a picture of an underage topless girl from his work computer.
It backlogged, and printed out after a colleague printed a different item.
McKimm said the colleague approached McKay who was the head of the office at the time, and showed him the picture.
McKay attempted to destroy it, saying it would be impossible to tell who printed the picture. His colleague informed him that the IT department would be able to identify the computer the image came from.
Police found a total of three pictures of naked underage girls on McKay's work computer.
McKay's lawyer, Shawn Buckley, told the court repeatedly throughout proceedings that the small collection was some of the "tamest" child pornography that has been shown in court.
McKay pleaded guilty to the charge in August last year, saying he wanted to avoid anymore heartache or financial stress for him and his family.
His psychological report read in court states that McKay is at a very low-risk to reoffend.
"Dr. McKay is at the very bottom of the spectrum," McKimm read in his decision. "I accept that he is remorseful."
Although McKay will have to register as a sex offender, he will not have to keep away from children.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2016