Monday, February 23, 2009
A BAHAMIAN man faces 250 counts of child pornography in a Florida court, according to media reports last night.
Broward County police arrested 26-year-old Kenwood Deveaux after they found "photos of children in unspeakable positions" in his possession on Saturday.
According to The Miami Herald, the Hallandale Beach resident lived across from a park with his mother.
Residents and park users expressed shock yesterday after receiving the news, according to The Herald, which reported that the playground was frequently used by children in the community.
Deveaux was arraigned later that same day with his bail set at more than a million dollars.
According to investigators, Deveaux was also put on "immigrant hold" as he was in the country illegally from the Bahamas.
Calls placed to Florida police and state prosecutors were not returned last night.
In January, the Bahamas Court of Appeal reaffirmed the sentence of a Bahamian man convicted of making child pornography.
Cedric Miller pleaded guilty to making illegal digital images, and to having sex with a blood relative for more than a year, between June 2008 and July 2009.
He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but his attorney Craig Butler sought to challenge the ruling on the basis that a plea bargain was made guaranteeing Miller six years in prison if he pleaded guilty.
The secondary argument was that the 12-year sentence was "too severe".
But Justice Christopher Blackman told Mr Butler his client was lucky he did not receive the maximum possible penalty - life in prison.
He said: "I would've been sympathetic if it was 30 years. Consider yourself lucky."
Justice Abdulai Conteh agreed, as did appellate court president Justice Anita Allen, who advised the attorney that his client should "take his 12 years and try to reform himself".
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