4 years for 3rd child porn conviction

Clay Meron was sentenced in Summerside Friday to four years in prisonafter his third conviction for possession of child pornography.

'It's really very difficult to fathom what kind of minds would want to see stuff like this.' Crown attorney John Diamond

Since the first raid on Meron's home in September of 2003, police have seized about 500,000 images of child pornography from Meron. Crown attorney John Diamond said Meron was probably one of the worst offenders in Canada.

"They depict small children performing sexual acts with adult males, with other children. Unless you've seen it you really can't describe it. Even when you see it you can't describe it," said Diamond.

"It's really very difficult to fathom what kind of minds would want to see stuff like this."

Meron first pleaded guilty to possession of child porn in December 2003. While he was awaiting sentencing, police raided his residence and found more child pornography. He was sentenced on those two counts: two years in provincial jail.

With about 180,000 images discovered, at the time police called it the biggest child porn possession case in Atlantic Canada. Meron's name was put on the national sexual offenders registry.

Last August, with Meron out of jail and on probation, police searched his Summerside apartment. They found more than 200,000 images of child porn and more than 500 video clips.

'I think Clay is looking forward to moving on with his life.' Defence attorney Chris Montigny

Meron, who has already served a year in prison, will serve three more in a federal penitentiary. Diamond was pleased with the judge's ruling.

"It's a good sentence for deterrence and denunciation and it will be something that's useful in the future," he said.

Defence lawyer Chris Montigny stopped only briefly to talk with the media.

"We're just glad to have it over with," he said.

"I think Clay is looking forward to just moving on from this and getting on with this sentence and moving on with his life."

During sentencing, Judge Jeff Lantz called Meron the worst of the worst child porn offenders. He said he hasn't seen a case like it in Canada and he called his actions vile and disgusting.

He went on to say the children involved are victims who will be traumatized forever from sexual abuse, abuse that will continue as long as people like Clay Meron keep downloading images of it.