A Grand Rapids, Michigan, man has been tried and convicted in court regarding pornographic images of children on his computer, but what makes this case so unique is the defense he attempted to establish while on trial.
Joseph Gobrick, 45, was convicted of three counts of child sexually abusive commercial activity and using a computer to commit a crime after dozens of child porn images were found on his Grand Rapids home computer, including some of the children being raped.
Appearing in a Grand Rapids court, Gobrick said he was not sexually attracted to children despite the mountain of evidence that showed otherwise. He also said he had always identified himself as an “8-year-old girl” according to reports.
Gobrick was adamant throughout the hearing what he did or possessed was nothing wrong. He also claimed that the images he had on his computer were protected under the First Amendment. During the hearing, Gobrick said, “I’ve always been an 8-year-old girl. And even my drawings and fantasies, I am always an 8-year-old girl.’’
A convicted sex offender who claims that he identifies as an eight-year-old girl will spend at least ten years in jail after dozens of images of child pornography were discovered on his home computer.
Kent County Assistant Prosecutor Daniel Helmer stated that Gobrick was “a danger to the public.”
“Even during the trial, the defendant continued to draw, talking about raping babies in the Kent County Jail and making other statements about how this is his constitutional right to continue to do so,” said Helmer.
Gobrick was sentenced to serve between 10 and 20 years in jail by Kent County Circuit Court Judge Paul Denenfeld.
“Based on everything he’s said and done, including bragging about what he was drawing in his cell, he obviously doesn’t think child sexually abusive material is wrong. This isn’t just virtual stuff; this is also real people being harmed,” the judge stated.
Gobrick, who fired his court-appointed attorney and chose to represent himself at trial, argued that the photos on his computer had been created using an image manipulation program.
Gobrick was arrested back in 2018 when authorities had discovered a runaway minor was living inside the man’s home.
When police searched Gobrick’s home after the discovery of the missing 17-year-old girl, they discovered an array of disturbing images depicting children on his computer. Gobrick ignored his right to counsel and instead sought to defend himself during the bench trial proceedings at the Kent County Circuit Court.
The array of defenses proposed by the man during the trial was mind-boggling to say the least, citing everything from gender and age identity, bestiality, free speech, and even Nazi Germany.
At the time, police found child pornography on Gobrick’s computer. He had also been convicted on sexual abuse charges in New York in 2001. However, he maintains that he isn’t sexually attracted to children.
“I would no sooner have sex with a child than you would with a rattlesnake,” he said during his sentencing. “It’s just not safe.”
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Sources: OpposingViews, 13 On Your Side