Courts / Dublin / Report
Jail for man who downloaded 'grotesque' and 'shocking' child abuse material
Summary
Sergio Arriaga, 44, of Lucan, was found guilty of possessing child pornography after a search of his home in April 2013 revealed over 2,700 images and 234 videos of child sexual abuse. The material, downloaded from a peer‑to‑peer network, included images of children as young as two years old. Arriaga pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Judge Elma Sheahan imposed a 20‑month sentence, with the final eight months suspended on strict conditions and requiring Arriaga to be supervised by Probation Services for eight months. He has no prior convictions and is employed full‑time. The judge noted the grotesque nature of the material and the seriousness of the offence, but also considered his early guilty plea and expressions of remorse as mitigating factors. The case had been pending since 2013 due to delays in repairing the hard drives.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jail for man who downloaded 'grotesque' and 'shocking' child abuse material. Charges or matters: possession of child pornography at his address on April 29, 2013. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- April 29, 2013 Incident
- April 2013 Other
- 2022-11-22 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: possession of child pornography at his address on April 29, 2013 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Sheahan handed a 20-month sentence to Arriaga with the final eight months suspended on strict conditions, where Arriaga must also place himself under the supervision of the Probation Services for eight months. She further reduced the sentence to 20 months, with the final eight months suspended due to the delay in the case.
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