A FAILED asylum seeker caught selling extreme pornography at a Sunday market has been jailed in a landmark prosecution.
Ming Chen, 27, of no fixed address, was employed to trade pirated films for a criminal gang after absconding from a detention centre.
He was arrested at Openshaw’s Smithfield Market in June when police discovered that he was selling DVDs depicting bestiality alongside copies of Hollywood movies.
Chen was handed an 11-month prison sentence at Manchester Crown Court for selling DVDs depicting depraved sex acts in the region’s first prosecution under new legislation which has criminalised the possession of extreme porn.
Chen, who was smuggled into the country from China by ‘Snakehead’ people traffickers, has been told he is to be deported at the end of his sentence.
The court heard that the market manager watched Chen selling DVDs from a plastic bag for 20 minutes to a ‘steady stream’ of customers before police approached.
When officers looked through Chen’s goods they found 169 DVDs – of which 41 were pornographic and a further eight of which appeared to depict extreme porn.
Once the DVDs were scanned by Greater Manchester Police’s Sex Crime Unit it was confirmed that they fell foul of the Criminal Justice Act 2008, which outlaws the possession of explicit, ‘grossly offensive’ porn.
Chen admitted two sample counts of possessing extreme pornography.
He also admitted charges of offering for sale pirated copies of mainstream Hollywood movies and asked for 20 further offences to be taken into consideration.
Defending, Gill Crossley, said Chen came from a family of fishermen in China but, after his brother was killed in a typhoon while at sea, Chen’s parents paid £30,000 to Snakeheads to bring him to this country.
However, his passport and visa was taken off him so he applied for asylum.
When his application failed he was kept at a detention centre but absconded and came to Manchester where he made contacts in the Chinese community.
Ms Crossley said criminals producing pirate DVDs looked to recruit desperate Chinese people with a poor education and grasp of English to sell them.
Chen has already served most of his sentence on remand so will be deported in a matter of days.
Sentencing, Judge Anthony Gee QC said: “Such material is rightly regarded by all decent, right-thinking people as abhorrent, disgusting and depraved.”
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If this man was already a failed "asylum" seeker, why was he free to enable him to peddle such filth on the streets of Manchester. He should never have been in this country in the first place and when his bogus appication for "asylum" failed he should have been placed in a detention centre and then deported asap. When he completes his 11 month (6 month at maximum) prison sentence will he be allowed to roam free whilst arrangements are made for his deportation; probably is the answer.
LOL, he tried to sell a mate of mine some porn, but ripped him off with blank DVD's instead. He should rot in jail for that alone!
why 11 months, just deport NOW.
unfortunatley when he lands on Chinese soil the "authorities" will no doubt but him in a camp for re-education, he proberbly will deserve his asylum seeker status after that.....
Reminds me of the tv program fonejacker. where the chinese cartoon characters trying to sell genuine fake dvd from local cinema. I will be a bit surprised if he does not political asylum next. I do not think china look favourable porn pedalering
He looks like the bloke who sold me a blank dvd!
could he get me a copy off GOING BACK TO MY ROOTS cause he his
Stevedore: "his bogus appication for "asylum" failed he should have been placed in a detention centre..."
He was, just like it says in the article.
Sentencing, Judge Anthony Gee QC said: “Such material is rightly regarded by all decent, right-thinking people as abhorrent, disgusting and depraved.”
He obviously wasn't selling it to 'decent, right minded people', whatever the hell that means. If it involved kids on the other hand, he would have been given a suspended sentence and community service painting the fence at a primary school. Basically, this is just an excuse to use the new legislation. If it was anything to do with morals they would have legislated against this material years ago.
why 11 months, just deport NOW.
to the point, bury
Why not try reading the story before bothering to post questions that do not need to be answered again.
another one of nu labours entreprenurial stars what a joke we dont need people like this
Get him out of the country now, why should we pay for his keep, let the Chinese authorities deal with him
I wonder how many more failed asylum seekers there are out there, along with violent crime it don't seem to be a priority with our present rulers and law makers.
This thing with illegal immigrants. Compare it with your yacht straying into Iranian waters, and the whole uproar that will surround it. Perhaps our borders should be policed in the same way. The Iranians immediately regard some yachtsmen as a threat or security risk, yet we have all and sundry coming here and being allowed to stay and wander about even when it's been established they shouldn't be here at all. Yet our Government bangs on to us all about id cards and having to fight foreign wars etc all for the sake of security??
I know this was a small-time crook, but it would surely be just as easy for a dedicated terrorist.
Not just stupidly soft, but also a big contradiction.
Believe me there will be heaps more like him,the same problem is ongoing in this country as well,they do anything to stay in the country regardless of who they can fleece dry.the problem is that they can enter a country too easy,falsh papers,taking someone elses identety etc etc.Its time all goverments take a stand and get rid of these criminal elements.
The failed asylum seeker is an illegal immigrant here to commit crime and make money at the expense of the British taxpayer. Thank you Tony Blair and Gordon Brown for allowing our country to become a dumping ground for every low life from around the world.
Let us all rejoice and embrace in the rich ethnic and cultural diversity that Manchester now offers. How society has progressed since WWII is really beyond my comprehension. I just cant help celebrating every day when I see how life in Manchester is now viewed by the rest of civilasation around the world due to the advances in our communication networks.
Tell the Chinese authorities he was also promoting Fallun Gong or planning armed insurrection. :-)
peter smith,
Reading the article it seems this man came to work, possibly for the benefit of his family. It would appear to be immigration laws which prevented him looking for legitimate work and led to him working for criminals, catering to the deisres of the indiginous population, whatever unusual material that may have been.
He can't be a criminal his ears don't stick out.
Hello Again, I agree with Peter Smith's Comment, Iam 80 years old and severely disabled Englishman, and I have to work in Computer Fairs and sometimes sell Copied DVD films & Software in order to survive, as I have been refused Pension Credit & Bury Council Tax Benefit for the last 6 years, I have been before 2 Tribunals where the old lady judge has told me that Iam barred from getting these benefits for life,Because she believes that I have savings of £200,000 a sum which I have never had in my lifetime,I just want the public to know what a crazy society that we now live in, in the good old uk, all the best, from old oddlegs in Bury
From one extreme to another. They've either got huge ears or absolutely no ears!
"Chen’s parents paid £30,000 to Snakeheads to bring him to this country."
Outside the major cities in China, £30,000 would be worth an absolute fortune and could buy you a very good life style in rural China. This guy didn't come to the UK to work and support his family, he came here because because he is a criminal and could make easy illegal money. Our lapse laws allow foriegn drug pushers, fraudsters, drug growers, sex and child trafficers into our country to fleece the honest British citizens. Blair and Brown have alot to answer for.
MAYBE WE SHOULD ALL GO TO CHINA AND BECOME FISHERMEN - 'IF WE ARE TO BELIEVE THE DENCE' - A FAMILY OF FISHERMEN ARE ABLE TO PUT UP £30K TO EXPORT THEIR ONLY SURVIVING SON - WHAT TOSH !! - GANSTERS AND THIEVES - THATS WHAT WE HAVE HERE - BUT NOT TO WORRY - GOOD OLD ENGLAND WILL LOOK AFTER THE POOR BOY - AND - 'IF' HE IS EVER DEPORTED WE SHOULD GIVE HIM £30K AS A GOOD WILL GESTURE TO TAKE BACK TO HIS POOR FISHERMAN FAMILY !!
Why do we have to put up with these people and why do we have to respect them?