A former Vernon Judo coach will spend a year in jail for producing and distributing child pornography following his sentencing on Dec. 5.
Bryan McLachlan, 49, who pleaded guilty, will serve two concurrent sentences — eight months for possessing and 12 months for importing and distributing child pornography. Following his one year in prison, McLachlan will face a two-year probation.
He has also been registered as a sex offender and faces a five-year prohibition from areas including playgrounds, parks and swimming pools.
Seven photographs containing children and young adults were uploaded from McLachlan’s computer in the summer of 2017, according to a B.C. Integrated Child Exploitation Unit report that was given to RCMP. One of which was doctored, or “photoshopped” to add himself into the image making it appear as if he was engaged in sexual acts with minors.
Despite the fact the photos are not real representations of a sexual act, Cissell said, the images are still damaging to the victims in the photograph.
“Those images he created now live and exist and will continue to do so as there is no real way to retrieve them,” she said on Nov. 5.
Defence lawyer Nicholas Jacob said, however, that although they are humiliating, the photograph in question is difficult to believe as it was “crudely” made.
Jacob said McLachlan has no prior convictions and was suffering from addictions issues at the time. He said his client was drinking “to blackout” and does not recall much of what happened during the time the offences occurred. The drinking started in 2011 after McLachlan and his wife separated and although he and the marriage recovered, he started drinking again when his child fell ill in 2017.
Jacob argued for a 90-day sentence to be served intermittently over weekends so McLachlan could maintain his employment and provide for his family. The Crown pushed for 12-18 months with a three-year probation period.
Conditions of probation, as argued by the Crown, would see McLachlan banned from public spaces, such as parks, pools and other places where it is likely he would encounter individuals under the age of 16. His use of the internet, computers and cellphones would also be monitored by a parole officer and must include records of browsing histories.
McLachlan has been awaiting his sentencing since Nov. 5, when Judge Dennis Morgan told the court he’d give his reasoning in writing at a later date.
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