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In society's interest that producer of child abuse material continues with rehabilitation, court rules
Summary
In 2021 the Court of Appeal upheld a suspended sentence for Robert Traynor, a 54‑year‑old former bank IT worker, who pleaded guilty to possessing 1,938 images and 183 videos of child pornography and to producing 1,650 computer‑generated images. The original March 2021 judgment by Judge Pauline Codd imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year wholly suspended sentence, with no custodial period. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was too lenient, but the three‑judge panel, led by Justice Isobel Kennedy, dismissed the appeal. The court noted Traynor's early guilty plea, lack of prior convictions, expressions of regret and participation in counselling as mitigating factors. It concluded that continuing his rehabilitation in the community was in society's interest, and that the suspended sentence fell within the judge's margin of appreciation. The appeal hearing included arguments from both sides, but no change to the sentence was made. The case remains a non‑custodial outcome.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: In society's interest that producer of child abuse material continues with rehabilitation, court rules. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- February 2, 2018 Incident
- September 22, 2014 Incident
- February 2018 Incident
- 2021-12-21 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Outcome: Robert Traynor (54) of southwest Dublin, left court in March of this year with a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to possession of 1,938 images and 183 videos of child pornography on February 2, 2018. The DPP claimed Judge Pauline Codd had erred by failing to include a period of incarceration in the two-and-a-half-year wholly suspended sentence she handed down in March this year at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
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