Courts / Dublin / Report
Former IT worker caught with thousands of child abuse images avoids jail
Summary
Robert Traynor, 54, a former IT worker, pleaded guilty to possessing 1,938 images and 183 videos of child pornography and to producing 1,650 computer‑generated images that violated the 1998 child trafficking pornography act. He claimed the material depicted adults posing as children, but the court found the images showed girls aged six to twelve in sexual situations. Traynor's possession was discovered during a Garda operation that linked his home to a peer‑to‑peer network. Judge Pauline Codd described the material as "gross exploitation" and "abhorrent", noting Traynor had undergone counselling and shown low risk of re‑offending. She imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, fully suspended, with conditions including three years of probation supervision and continued sex‑offender therapy. The sentence was handed down on 12 March 2021 at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Former IT worker caught with thousands of child abuse images avoids jail. Charges or matters: possession of 1,938 images and 183 videos of child pornography on February 2, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- February 2, 2018 Incident
- September 22, 2014 Incident
- February 2018 Incident
- 2021-03-12 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: possession of 1,938 images and 183 videos of child pornography on February 2, 2018 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: She handed down a two-and-a-half year sentence and suspended it on a number of conditions, including that Traynor remain under the supervision of the Probation Services for three years and continue to engage in sex offender therapy.
Places mentioned
Topics
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