PC-dumping ex-prosecutor mired in teen porn scandal

A former Dutch prosecutor, who resigned last year after it emerged he had chucked his old PC out with the trash is in trouble again.

The PC, which contained hundreds of pages of confidential information about high-profile cases, as well as former Dutch prosecutor Joost Tonino's social security number and personal tax files, also revealed that he had an appetite for pornography. Tonino subscribed to dozens of teen porn newsgroups and websites, and in letters to a friend also found on his former hard drive, he admitted bluntly that he "had trouble staying away from little boys".

A six-month investigation by the public prosecutor's office, however, concluded that Tonino had done nothing "unlawful" as none of the pornographic images viewed on the PC were downloaded directly to the machine's hard drive. The pictures were found in the Internet Explorer cache by forensic experts, and could have been the "by-product" of visiting porn sites in general, the office concluded.

The details were revealed yesterday by Dutch TV station SBS, the same broadcaster that uncovered the contents of Tonino's dumped PC a couple of months ago. Because Tonino didn't want his private life made public, he sued the station, but the judge ruled that there was enough evidence to question his behaviour.

It is expected that Tonino, who had already accepted another job with the public prosecutor's office, will resign shortly. Tonino maintains that his sexual orientation has never interfered with his professional life. ®

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