A Chinese student who brought violent porn films into the country today failed to win a discharge without conviction.
Xuan Zhang, 22, of Karori, Wellington, applied for the discharge because a conviction might jeopardise his chance of studying for a masters degree in the United States.
However, Wellington District Court Judge John Walker declined the application, saying he had not established that the consequences of a conviction would outweigh the gravity of the offending.
Zhang pleaded guilty to four counts of importing prohibited goods.
New Zealand Customs Service found a hard drive containing four animated violent porn films when Zhang returned to New Zealand from China in 2007.
At first Zhang told customs there was nothing on the hard drive and after further questioning said a friend had downloaded movies onto his hard drive, but he did not know what they were, said Judge Walker.
It was Zhang's duty to know what was on his hard drive.
Judge Walker fined Zhang $800 and ordered him to pay $520 in court costs and $100 in solicitors fees.
