Eric Shumsky: Watsons Bay child porn accused back in court

A court has been told of the alleged frank admissions made to a health professional by a thespian accused of having a collection of child pornography openly displayed in his eastern suburbs’ home.

Shumsky, pictured, has pleaded not guilty to five charges of possessing child abuse material. Picture: Supplied.

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A budding thespian with scores of videos online showing him reciting Shakespeare has failed in an attempt to have his child porn charges dismissed on mental health grounds.

Eric Shumsky, who has ties to the eastern suburbs Chapel by the Sea community, was allegedly found with 1750 images of children when police raided his Watsons Bay home after a tip-off last December.

Police allege a total of 101 images were located openly displayed in his lounge, others were framed in various locations around his home.

Eric Shumsky at the Chapel the Sea

The court also heard detectives had also allegedly found “various philosophical literature on child sexuality” when his home was searched.

Magistrate Michael Antrum described the framing and open display of child abuse material as “bizarre” in denying his application on Wednesday.

“There was no attempt to hide those images,” he said.

The court was previously told he was seeing a psychologist for an addiction to child porn at the time the images were allegedly were discovered.

However, his barrister Margaret Bateman argued if he the charges were dismissed on mental health grounds “it wasn’t like he is getting away with anything”.

Ms Bateman pointed to previous reports on Shumsky as evidence of his “harsh” treatment.

Eric Shumsky is on bail under a number of conditions, including reporting and not to go within 100 metres of facilities frequented by children.

He has pleaded not guilty to five counts of possessing child abuse material and appeared donning a fedora at today’s Downing Centre Local Court hearing.

“It’s not like this man will get away with anything scott free. He has had a day in custody he has been reporting three days a week and has been dealt with in a fairly harsh way in the media,” she told the court.

Mental health reports tendered to the court revealed Shumsky told a health professional he “never came to see the images in terms of their harm”.

Police were opposing the move as the reports stated his diagnosed anxiety had no relationship to the offending or what one doctor described as his “deviant sexual interest”.

Shumsky will return to court later this year.

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