Courts / Dublin / Report
Man caught with child abuse material avoids jail
Summary
Paul O'Dowd, 37, was found to possess 78 images and 10 videos of child abuse material on his Samsung phone. He admitted to having viewed and downloaded the material but denied ever sending it to others. Gardaí searched his home after a tip, seized the phone, and analysed the content, which included 52 images or videos showing children with exposed genital or anal areas and the remainder depicting children witnessing or engaging in sexual activity. O'Dowd pleaded guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 12 February 2021 and was sentenced to 21 months in prison, a term fully suspended on strict conditions. He must engage with Probation Services for 12 months and will be registered as a sex offender. He has five prior convictions for road traffic offences. The judge noted the case was not the largest in terms of image quantity and considered his lack of relevant convictions and admissions when deciding the suspended sentence.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man caught with child abuse material avoids jail. Charges or matters: knowingly possessing images of child pornography at his home on February 12, 2021. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- February 12, 2021 Incident
- 2022-11-21 Publication
Why: Judge Nolan accepted that the case was "by no means the largest number of images this court has to have to deal with" and acknowledged that because of his conviction he would be registered as a sex offender. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: knowingly possessing images of child pornography at his home on February 12, 2021 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He sentenced O'Dowd to 21 months in prison which he suspended in full on strict conditions including that O'Dowd engage with the Probation Services for 12 months.
Places mentioned
Topics
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