Tori Schild declined to comment to NanaimoNewsNOW and did not provide a statement to the court regarding his offending. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Ian Holmes

serious offence

Nanaimo man avoids jail despite ‘quite horrific’ child porn collection

Aug 24, 2021 | 5:33 AM

NANAIMO — A man busted with a substantial child porn haul will serve his sentence at home as opposed to behind bars.

Tori Bruce Schild, 31, was sentenced on Monday, Aug. 23 to one year of house arrest followed by one year probation after he pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography.

Local Mounties used a search warrant to enter Schild’s home on Sept. 20, 2018 after his IP address was linked to an online chat file titled “trading baby boy vids,” court was told.

He was arrested in February, 2020 at his home following a nearly two year police investigation, aided by the BC Child Exploitation Unit.

An agreed statement of facts outlined in provincial court in Nanaimo heard nearly 1,200 pictures and about 125 videos on one of Schild’s cell phones were flagged by local Mounties as child porn.

Two and Out

PETERS: Business owners shouldn't be held responsible for nuisance calls

Nov 15, 2024

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: November 14, 2024

Nov 15, 2024

Sound Off

SOUND OFF: What is the difference between a food policy council and frontline services?

Nov 15, 2024

The Crown’s Sheila Simpson said more than a third of the illegal images and all of the videos were categorized as the most serious form of child porn.

“The RCMP described the category one collection of Mr. Schild as quite horrific. The ages of the children depicted were from one to two years of age to 14 to 15 years of age,” Simpson told court.

A majority of the most severely abused victims were girls between six and 10 years old.

Simpson referenced a thorough psychiatric examination of Schild, detailing how he began accessing child porn in 2017 after his relationship with his girlfriend ended, resulting in the offender finding himself “in a morally lost place.”

Despite hundreds of pictures and videos depicting sexual violence against young children, Simpson said Schild claimed he wasn’t aroused by pre-pubescent kids.

“This is an example of Mr. Schild trying to rationalize his behaviour, downplaying the victims and the effect that child porn has on youth and our society.”

In a statement to Nanaimo RCMP, Schild said he felt sick he had amassed such a large collection.

He was later diagnosed with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder. Schild received treatment for bipolar disorder, however there wasn’t sufficient evidence to support he’s inflicted by the condition.

Court was told Schild, who had no prior criminal record, had suffered from depression for an extended period of time pre-dating his offence.

Simpson emphasized Schild’s mental health challenges should not equate to diminished moral culpability.

She lobbied for one year in jail followed by a year-long probationary term.

Tori Schild entering court prior to his sentencing hearing. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Defence lawyer Stephen Taylor argued for a non-custodial sentence, stating his client made strides in weekly group sex offender therapy sessions in Courtenay, in addition to one-on-one counseling in Nanaimo.

While acknowledging Schild faces a lengthy rehabilitative path, Taylor said a psychologist credited Schild for his pro-social values and willingness to seek out and participate in treatment.

“He’s accepted he has a problem and he’s accepted that he needs help in dealing with it and he’s fully engaged in that — and I think will remain so for quite some time,” Taylor said, noting Schild has expressed regret and remorse.

Schild was deemed a low to moderate risk of accessing child porn in the future and a low risk for hands-on sexual offending.

Schild has been stigmatized in the community, is unemployed and faces many more future repercussions, Taylor said.

“He’s going to get his name in the paper, he doesn’t get to hide behind the initials of victims. This is going to directly impact his life,” Taylor said.

Following lengthy deliberations, Judge Robin Smith ruled Schild’s circumstances were in fact exceptional and that a non-custodial sentence was the most appropriate punishment.

Schild’s house arrest for the next year essentially means he’ll be home-bound around the clock, with the exception of afternoons between 1 and 4 p.m. and to attend rehabilitative programming.

He will be categorized nationally as a sex offender for the next decade, allowing police easier access to his current location.

Over the next two years numerous strict conditions tailored to sex offenders will apply against Schild, including staying away from public recreational areas where people under 16-years-old could be present.

Schild will also have restricted internet access and was ordered to provide a DNA sample.

A second charge against Schild of distributing child porn was stayed.

He was visibly distraught at times during his hearing. He did not address the court.

Child porn cases in the mid island area have increased substantially in recent years, resulting in a steady rate of convictions against Nanaimo area men.

Join the conversation. Submit your letter to NanaimoNewsNOW and be included on The Water Cooler, our letters to the editor feature.

info@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @NanaimoNewsNOW