Plug pulled on Secret Squirrel

THE Secret Squirrel of Smart Rd got his comeuppance yesterday.

Standing in the dock of the New Plymouth District Court,Christopher William Jones, who ran a website called Secret Squirrel,admitted three offences under the Films, Videos and PublicationsClassification Act.

The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to making a copy of anobjectionable publication for supply, possession of an objectionablepublication and offering to supply an unlabelled R18 film, namelyLollipops 10.

Prosecutor Norman Gwynne said the Department of Internal Affairscame across the Secret Squirrel website, which offered for salecopies of movies, computer games and PlayStation 2 and X-box games,last March.

"The site stated it offered these as a back-up service to thosepeople that already had copies of the products. However the sitemade no effort to confirm this other than to show a disclaimer."

An internal affairs officer paid $25 and bought a copy of thePlayStation 2 game Manhunt, which had been classified asobjectionable by the Chief Censor and banned in New Zealand, hesaid.

On April 14 a search warrant was executed at Jones' Smart Rdhouse where two computers were found -- one containing the websiteand another for copying games and movies.

"There were hundreds of DVD movies and games found, including themaster copy of the (banned) game Manhunt and unlabelled, restrictedadult movies that had been offered for sale on the website."

Lawyer Kelly Ludlam said her client had "grown up" since thisincident and was taking responsibility.

Judge Christopher Harding fined Jones $2000 on the supplyingcharge and $250 on each of the other two charges. He also orderedhim to pay court costs of $130 on each charge.

The judge said Jones had already been dealt with by the court foraccessing computer systems for dishonest purposes, offences thatoccurred around the same time as these.

He also ordered the destruction of the movies, games, disks andcomputers.

Plug pulled on Secret Squirrel

THE Secret Squirrel of Smart Rd got his comeuppance yesterday.

Standing in the dock of the New Plymouth District Court,Christopher William Jones, who ran a website called Secret Squirrel,admitted three offences under the Films, Videos and PublicationsClassification Act.

The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to making a copy of anobjectionable publication for supply, possession of an objectionablepublication and offering to supply an unlabelled R18 film, namelyLollipops 10.

Prosecutor Norman Gwynne said the Department of Internal Affairscame across the Secret Squirrel website, which offered for salecopies of movies, computer games and PlayStation 2 and X-box games,last March.

"The site stated it offered these as a back-up service to thosepeople that already had copies of the products. However the sitemade no effort to confirm this other than to show a disclaimer."

An internal affairs officer paid $25 and bought a copy of thePlayStation 2 game Manhunt, which had been classified asobjectionable by the Chief Censor and banned in New Zealand, hesaid.

On April 14 a search warrant was executed at Jones' Smart Rdhouse where two computers were found -- one containing the websiteand another for copying games and movies.

"There were hundreds of DVD movies and games found, including themaster copy of the (banned) game Manhunt and unlabelled, restrictedadult movies that had been offered for sale on the website."

Lawyer Kelly Ludlam said her client had "grown up" since thisincident and was taking responsibility.

Judge Christopher Harding fined Jones $2000 on the supplyingcharge and $250 on each of the other two charges. He also orderedhim to pay court costs of $130 on each charge.

The judge said Jones had already been dealt with by the court foraccessing computer systems for dishonest purposes, offences thatoccurred around the same time as these.

He also ordered the destruction of the movies, games, disks andcomputers.