Child porn distributor "well advised" to drop appeal

A man from Knockloughlin in County Longford has withdrawn an appeal against his sentence for distributing child sexual abuse material, following advice from his legal team. Sylvio Rose, aged 51, a German national resident in Ireland since 2006, had pleaded guilty at Longford Circuit Criminal Court to possession and distribution of child pornography involving approximately 35,000 images and 1,700 videos. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment with the final two years suspended in May 2018. Rose's application to withdraw his appeal was heard at the Court of Appeal, where the President, Mr Justice George Birmingham, noted that he had been "well advised" to do so. The court acknowledged the gravity of the offences involved. Mr Justice Birmingham sat with Mr Justice Brian McGovern and Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy in permitting the late withdrawal.