Customs and Border Protection media release 18 March 2010

Gaol for two child pornography smugglers

Two men have been sentenced to gaol following Customs and Border Protection investigations into the importation and possession of child pornography.

Customs and Border Protection Acting Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Border Enforcement, Roxanne Kelley, said the penalties handed down yesterday send a strong message to those who seek to smuggle child pornography.
“Customs and Border Protection continues to target the import of objectionable material, including child pornography, through the postal system and by international travellers,” Ms Kelley said.

“These custodial sentences show the value in Customs and Border Protection’s commitment to detect, investigate and prosecute attempts to smuggle child pornography.”

In the first instance, Victorian resident, Stacey Livitsansis, was sentenced to three years and nine months gaol by the Ballarat County Court, and has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

This follows an interception at the Sydney International mail centre in June last year of two parcels holding 42 DVDs which contained footage of child pornography and the seizure of further items during the execution of a search warrant on Mr Livitsansis’ address.

With the assistance of the Australian Federal Police, officers conducted a forensic examination of the material and identified a large number of child pornography images and videos. In total, 928,422 images and 2,105 videos of child pornography were identified.

In the second instance, Edwin Merano, a Fillipino national also received a 12 month jail sentence from NSW Central Local Court yesterday.

Merano was arrested when he arrived into Australia on a flight from Hong Kong on 9 March 2010. Customs and Border Protection officers stopped Mr Merano for questioning and during the course of a baggage examination, discovered three DVDs containing footage of explicit child pornography.

Merano will not be eligible for release until 8 March 2011.

Such material cannot be imported into Australia under Regulation 4A of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956.

Media inquiries:
Customs and Border Protection Communication and Media (02) 6275 6793