Man downloaded child porn daily for 5 years, gets jail for possessing almost 47,000 abuse files

SINGAPORE: A renovation contractor regularly downloaded child pornography over five years, showing children mostly between the ages of two and 12 being sexually abused.

When the police acted on information they received of his crimes and raided his home, they found almost 47,000 photos or videos of child abuse material in his possession.

Wong Ket Kok, 54, was sentenced to two years and eight months' jail for his crimes on Thursday (Mar 3). 

He pleaded guilty to one charge of possessing at least 46,946 files depicting child abuse material, with a second charge of possessing 53,123 obscene films taken into consideration.

The court heard that Wong owned a renovation business and is married with two children. His daughter was about 12 at the time he began offending, while his son was six.

For more than five years before he was arrested in July 2020, Wong began searching for and downloading child porn daily for his own sexual gratification, the court heard.

At about 9.15pm on Jul 29, 2020, police officers acted on information that Wong had downloaded child abuse material from the Internet and raided his home.

Wong said he "did not have any age preference", but claimed: "I do not watch boys and girls who are below ... four years old".

A total of about 164,600 electronic files were found in Wong's hard disks and laptop. Of this, at least 46,946 were found to be child sexual abuse material depicting children in sexual acts or poses.

The prosecutor called for two-and-a-half to three years' jail for Wong, saying he "voted" for the production of child abuse material by fervently downloading and consuming such material.

BUILT A LIBRARY OF CHILD PORN: PROSECUTOR

He said Wong "essentially built a library" of child pornography for his own gratification, and that this was not a moment of folly but "very depraved" persistent conduct.

"Some of these acts involve acts that can be described only as torture," said the prosecutor. He pointed to some file names of the pornographic material - including a two-year-old girl getting raped during a diaper change, and a young girl being abused by two boys.

He said the abuse depicted in the videos was "grave", as the children were subjected to penetrative sexual activity, "the most serious" as it represents the greatest intrusion into the bodily integrity and privacy of the minor.

"Perversely, his offending behaviour began while his daughter and son were both young themselves, and it continued through their growing years," said the prosecutor.

He said this was one of the "most egregious cases" of its kind to come before the courts.

Wong, who did not have a lawyer, read out a letter he had prepared for his own mitigation. He said his son was 13 and his daughter 18, studying in secondary school and polytechnic respectively.

"Both of them need my support on school fees and other school expenses," said Wong. "I am self-employed contractor and I work alone. I do not have any income if I don't work."

He added that he has to contribute to Medisave every month and pay the water, electricity and food bills.

"I regret what I did. This is my first offence. Please give me a chance and give me a lighter sentence," he said.

In response, the prosecutor said any hardship caused to Wong's family is a natural consequence of his offending, and that hardship of the family is only mitigating if exceptional, which it was not in this case.

The judge agreed with the prosecutor's sentencing submissions and said general deterrence was paramount in this case because of the nature of the offences.

He granted Wong his request to begin his jail term in a week. However, it was unclear if Wong's wife, who is his bailor, will be able to furnish the S$20,000 bail required.