An undated handout image provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a thin-section transmission electron micrograph (TEM) depicting the ultra-structural details of a number of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) virus particles, or virions.Reuters
An HIV-positive man who sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy and had a massive collection of child pornography has been sentenced to three years and three months in prison.
Toronto police targeted 53-year-old Warren Allen in an undercover operation after a tip from the FBI.
Mr. Allen sent an undercover officer 6,700 images of child pornography, and when police later arrested the man in Vancouver, they seized over 840,000 images, his sentencing hearing was told.
Mr. Allen shared his vast collection of pornography on a peer-to-peer website, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Sunni Stromberg-Stein said in her written ruling.
"Many of the images portrayed very young children, including infants, involved in sexual acts with adult males," she said in her ruling. "Some videos portrayed what can be described as sexually-explicit torture of infants and young children."
Mr. Allen – who was an RCMP officer 30 years ago – bragged on an Internet chat line about how he and a friend sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy, her ruling said.
"He chatted with other adult males about which chat site he had met K.R." the judge said, referring to the unnamed victim.
The court heard Mr. Allen had significant health issues, had been HIV positive for 23 years, experienced a bout of cancer in 2003 and had heart bypass surgery in 2004. He's been living on a disability pension since 2002.
Mr. Allen admitted to being addicted to crystal methamphetamine for six years, which he said replaced his addiction to morphine for his myriad of medical problems.
In a decision released Monday, Judge Stromberg-Stein of B.C. Supreme Court said the offences are extremely serious.
"Sexual abuse of a 14-year-old boy by an adult sexual predator exploiting an innocent child is an aggravating factor," she said in her ruling.
The judge noted that in some of Mr. Allen's online chats, he described himself as "pozzing," meaning someone with HIV who is actively trying to infect as many unsuspecting men as possible through unprotected sex.
"Particularly bisexual men who would then spread HIV to female victims," she wrote. "He talked of making his own kiddie porn because he never seemed to find 'stuff brutal enough."'
But the judge noted that Mr. Allen was repulsed by his own behaviour when not under the influence of drugs. He has no criminal record, was of previously of good character and had a number of letters attesting to his good character and offering support.
Mr. Allan pleaded guilty, was remorseful, ashamed and embarrassed, Judge Stromberg-Stein said.
The Crown asked for a four- to six-year sentence for the sexual assault and another three- to four-year sentence for the pornography count to be served consecutively.
Mr. Allen's lawyer agreed that incarceration was required with a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail, but suggested a maximum sentence of two and a half years.
The judge sentenced Mr. Allen to 18 months for the sexual assault and a two-year consecutive sentence for distribution of child pornography.