A 63-year-old Nanaimo man was sentenced this month to 10 months in prison and 18 months’ probation for possession of child pornography.
The sentence was handed down Aug. 18 by Judge Karen Whonnock at provincial court in Nanaimo to William Herbert Erick Kreibom, who, according to court documents, was found to be in possession of an estimated 8,300 child pornography images on his desktop computer, cell phone and multiple data storage devices when Nanaimo RCMP acted on a search warrant in March 2019. The investigation was sparked by a tip from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children about a child pornography image that had been uploaded in September 2018, which was traced back to Kreibom.
Kreibom had also been investigated in 2015, but recommended charges of possession and distribution of child pornography submitted to the Crown counsel office were not approved at that time.
In evidence presented by Crown counsel, on the day of Kreibom’s arrest he provided a sworn statement to police when he allegedly admitted to investigators that having images of children was wrong but the images would pop up when he searched for other pornography. He said he only looked at images of child pornography “out of curiosity” but would never “use a kid that way.” Kreibom also described himself to police as just a “lonely old cross-dressing man.”
Kreibom, who had no prior criminal record, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography when he appeared in provincial court in Nanaimo.
In her sentencing, the judge noted aggravating factors in the case against Kreibom, including the number of images in his collection child pornography, the age range of the victims, some as young as two years old, and that he had been previously investigated by police for child pornography.
“Mr. Kreibom’s explanation in his police statement … that images of child pornography ‘pop up’ when he looks for regular pornography, lacks credibility in my eyes given the large volumes of child pornography images in [his] possession,” the judge said.
She said she took into account that Kreibom had pleaded guilty and was taking responsibility for the offence, that he had attended a sex offender program and had shown remorse for his behavior and, among other factors, had strong support from his family.
As part of his conditions of probation, Kreibom will not be allowed to go to any public park, swimming area, community centre, theatre, daycare centre, school or playground where anyone under 16 might be present for a period of 20 years after he is released from prison, nor can he contact or communicate with anyone under 16 or volunteer or take employment in any capacity that involves a position of trust toward anyone under 16. He also cannot enter into or continue any dating relationship, marriage or common-law relationship with anyone who has children under 16 or who has care of or access to children under 16 without that person being informed by Kreibom’s probation officer about his conviction, including the pre-sentence report and the reasons for judgment.
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