Child porn case

A former member of the German parliament has received a suspended prison sentence after he was found guilty of possessing child pornography.

A state court in Karlsruhe gave Joerg Tauss a 15-month suspended sentence after rejecting claims that the pornographic images were necessary for his parliamentary work.

The 56-year-old resigned in June 2009 from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) three months after his home and offices were raided by investigators.

Prosecutors said that the investigation revealed he had 228 pornographic pictures and videos on his mobile phone in addition to material found at his home.

Images necessary for work

Tauss admitted that he possessed the material but claimed that they were related to legitimate work he was carrying out in his capacity as a lawmaker, and that the images were to help him break up a pedophile ring.

His defense team had asked that he be acquitted, but the court said Tauss was not privileged to any legal exemptions.

Presiding Judge Udo Scholl said Tauss "was not active in the online child pornography scene for political reasons and for the proper performance of his duties, but rather for personal reasons."

The judge said it was possible that Tauss had been motivated out of "sheer curiosity."

After leaving the SPD Tauss joined the small Pirate Party, which campaigns for reform to the law regarding Internet file-sharing and copyright. He was later stripped of parliamentary immunity and lost his seat in parliament.

Tauss has said he will appeal the conviction.

rc/dpa/AP/AFP/Reuters
Editor: Kyle James