sentences on coercion are actually pretty short in the uk
and sentences on molestation are a lot shorter than rape.
so it really depends what the convictions are.
from the independent article it seems to suggest the two most serious counts he pleaded guilty to are for
" attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity "
thats more in the coercion category.
but 50 total guilty pleas, and 10000+ illegal images... thats pretty serious.
a quick google search suggests:
" possession of an indecent image of a child is a maximum of five years. While possession of a prohibited image of a child is a maximum of three years. However, offenders convicted of making or distributing child pornography can face
up to 10 years in prison "
and also
" The average custodial sentence for sexual offences in the UK is
between 5 and 10 years "
so id expect the same probably.
having a sentence of 10 years will generally put them on parole after 5. (provided he survives)
the coercion is more serious than the possession of pornography, but "attempted" is not as highly prosecuted as actual molestation. so it may be more like a 7 year sentence and parole at 3. hard to say.
I can definitely understand why people want harsher sentences for these crimes. reading just the summary of guilty pleas on that article enrages me. the callousness toward the act that is reported in those blackmailing accusations amplify the rage significantly. its clear that it wasnt the case of some regretful sick person, but an intentional act of hostility from a place of narcissistic entitlement. the whole fake agency scheme with fake personalities as employees and whatnot is really solid evidence that this person was working with an otherwise reasonably functional brain, choosing evil. I hope they can bring to light everything they did and dont miss any victims.
as to whether or not they will be allowed to continue work on a technically legal but related product after release (or limitations on parole) I cant really find anything in particular precedent. in other fields like computer security there is some precedent for preventing released convicts from future access but that goes back to my previous post, basically there are usually work arounds / loopholes like hiring someone to be the "new dev" and just dictating the process.
tldr: obviously shitty person deserves BIG punishment and probably wont be sufficiently. impossible to say where the future of this project is long term, but certainly dead for the next few years at minimum id say, even if it does change hands at some point.
and its particularly relevant how this impacts this industry which often argues from a place of morality that these products are meant to curb real harm in the real world.
Holy shit, was just about to try the game out but wow. Did any of this make it into the game? Has he been using his own crimes for inspiration?
