Man jailed for sharing video of Christchurch massacre as it happened
Philip Arps in the dock at the Christchurch District Court Wednesday, March 20, 2019 (Picture: Getty..
A New Zealand man who shared a livestream video of the Christchurch mosque attacks with 30 people, asking for it to be modified to include a kill count, has been jailed.
Christchurch District Judge Stephen ODriscoll said Philip Arps held unrepentant views towards the Muslim community.
He has been sentenced to 21 months in jail.
A gunman killed 51 people in the attack on Muslims at a mosque and Islamic centre during Friday prayers in March.
Appearing at the Christchurch District Court on Tuesday, Arps pleaded guilty to two charges of distributing objectionable material for sharing footage that was livestreamed to social media during the attack.
The court was also told that Arps had intended to share a modified video, which included crosshairs and a kill count.
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He described the modified footage as awesome, the New Zealand Herald reported.
Judge ODriscoll condemned Arps actions, calling them a hate crime.
He said it was particularly cruel of Arps to share the video in the days after the attacks.
The 44-year-old businessman had pleaded guilty in April.
He also has a previous conviction from 2016, after leaving a pigs head at the Al Noor Mosque, which was one of the mosques targeteRead More – Source