An Australian child psychiatrist who filmed a 10-year-old boy using a public washroom at the West Edmonton Mall will avoid jail time on a raft of child pornography charges.
Aaron Voon, 42, appeared in the District Court of Western Australia in Perth Friday morning for sentencing on nine charges related to producing, possessing and distributing child pornography and child exploitation material.
Voon was arrested in May 2016, after a confrontation at the mall, during which the boy’s father confronted Voon after he saw the man place a camera next to his son while he was urinating.
Footage of the psychiatrist being confronted and restrained by the boy’s father went viral on social media.
Man accused of filming child in bathroom confronted on camera1:01
Edmonton police laid several child pornography-related charges against Voon. But after being granted bail, he returned to Australia, where he was arrested upon landing.
Voon pleaded guilty in December 2016 to all nine charges which spanned four countries: Canada, the United States, New Zealand and Australia.
On Friday, Voon received an 18-month suspended sentence on eight of the charges, while District Court Judge Alan Troy dismissed the ninth, according to reports from ABC News and the West Australian newspaper.
‘Mental impairment’ a factor
“The judge said that it was a complex matter and he took into account the fact of Voon’s mental impairment,” ABC News reporter Emily Piesse told CBC Edmonton after leaving the courtroom Friday.
“Subsequent to his arrest last year, Voon was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, and the judge said that those conditions likely contributed to his offending.”
A medical professional provided a report to the court Friday which indicated Voon had been fascinated with toilets from an early age, according to the West Australian.
Filming boys and then repeatedly watching the footage allegedly helped get his obsession with urinary functions out of his head, the paper said.
Conditions of Voon’s release are that he pay a $9,800 Cdn surety and continue receiving psychiatric care, Piesse said.
Voon had previously worked as a respected child psychiatrist at the Successful Development and Therapy Centre in Perth, where he treated hundreds of patients under the age of 10.
“He’s no longer registered as a doctor. He’s agreed that he will not seek to re-register as a child psychiatrist,” Piesse said.
“If he returns to work, he is going to pursue a career in research or work with adult patients, his lawyer told the court.”