A longtime South Carolina Tea Party activist who spoke against the Affordable Care Act and supported Rand Paul for President, has been sentenced to two years in prison for possessing several hundred images of child pornography.
Christian Hine was arrested in June of 2015 after FBI agents raided his home and seized his electronic devices. Those devices contained more than 700 images showing children involved in pornographic acts. Authorities also said those images had been shared online thousands of times over the course of a decade.
But Hine’s attorney, Johnny Gasser, said that his client couldn’t be blamed for the crime because he suffered from autism and depression:
“His descent into depression and pornography abuse was as swift as it was tragic. It’s difficult to understand how Christian ended up in such a terrible place.”
Despite that ridiculous defense, Hine, who was charged with 10 felony counts, was sentenced to two years incarceration, three years of probation, and must register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
Hine’s attorneys had suggested that he be sentenced to house arrest, but the presiding judge did not accept that recommendation.
Should Hine fail to comply with all of the terms of his sentence when he is released from custody, he could receive an additional sentence of eight years behind bars.
Featured Image Via Screengrab
