Island’s News Updates

A prominent Adelaide philanthropist who admitted to possessing child pornography has been allowed to holiday in Bali while awaiting sentence. Ian Hugh Jenkinson, 61, was handed his passport and given the green light to leave Australia and spend eight days in the tropical paradise by a District Court judge. Jenkinson faces a possible jail term after being caught with images depicting children under the age of 14 in May of last year, following police raids on addresses in Burnside and Richmond. The former top stockbroker, who resigned from the Women’s and Children’s Hospital Foundation Board in February, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing child pornography in March.

But on June 13, Judge Kevin Nicholson varied his bail to allow him to travel to Bali on June 21 – a decision which has sparked fury from child protection advocates and Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith. And Attorney-General Michael Atkinson is examining the matter, with his office requesting the relevant court documents on Friday.

Jenkinson, who returned from Bali last weekend, defended the trip. “We’ve had some personal and some family problems,” he said. “We went with some friends who we’ve known for a long time and we took them on a holiday. This has been arranged for the last 18 months.”

Court documents state Jenkinson was “in possessionof child pornography, knowing of its pornographic nature”. “It is further alleged that the circumstances of that aggravation are that the children depicted were under the age of 14 years,” the documents said. His bail was adjusted after the court was provided with a copy of Jenkinson’s flight and accommodation details. The Director of Public Prosecutions did not oppose the application. “We would simply ask that the condition be imposed that Mr Jenkinson report to police on his return,” the prosecutor in the case told the court.

Jenkinson’s wife was named guarantor over the bail arrangements. Mr Hamilton-Smith said the case was an example of the State Government claiming to be tough on crime but “the reality of what criminals can get away with”. “It sends the wrong message when a man pleads guilty to possessing child pornography, but is then allowed bail to go on an overseas holiday,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said.

Anti-child abuse campaigner Hetty Johnston said that the decision was “beyond comprehension”. “By pleading guilty, this guy has clearly put on the table that he has an attraction to children,” she said. Australian Childhood Foundation chief executive officer Joe Tucci said: “To be told that you can go on holidays after exploiting children, to me that’s sickening.” A spokeswoman for Mr Atkinson said his office was looking into the case.

News by Adelaide Now - adelaidenow.com.au