A White Rock resident has been sentenced for possession of child pornography.

In a Delta Police Department (DPD) news release issued on January 29, DPD Insp. Guy Leeson explained that an investigation began in May 2018 after discovering that the IP address of 57-year-old Frederick James Bugden was being used to access and download child pornography.

After officers used a search warrant at his North Delta residence, they found he had collected over 4,000 child pornography images and videos in his devices.

Insp. Leeson stated that no local children were believed to have been shown in these images.

Bugden, who moved from Delta in August 2019 to White Rock, has been sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography.

He also received a two-year probation order and a 10-year requirement to report annually as a registered sex offender.

After Bugden serves his sentence, he will be required to report to a probation officer and is under the following conditions for two years:

• not to go to any public park, public swimming area, community centre, school, daycare center or theater where persons under the age of 16 years are present or can reasonably be expected to be present;
• no contact or communication, directly or indirectly with, or be alone in the presence of any person you know to be or who reasonably appears to be under the age of 16 years old;
• not to have online communication with any person under the age of 16 years through a social networking website, instant messaging service or chatroom program.

Budgen is described as a white male who is approximately 178 centimetres (five-feet, 10-inches) tall and 73 kilograms (160 pounds). He has greying brown hair and blue eyes.  He will be reporting to a probation officer upon his release.

The DPD stated that due to Privacy Act restrictions, police are unable to release his photo.

In a separate case, the DPD stated on December 19 that 51-year-old Kevin James Silen, a former Delta resident living in Surrey, was facing 11 charges, including voyeurism and making, possessing, distribuing, and accessing child pornography.

In other recent news, Surrey RCMP are searching for any victims of a 78-year-old male private instructor in Surrey, who was charged with sexual interference after two students alleged he sexually abused them.