Courts / Dublin / Report

Suspended sentence for man caught with 35 child abuse videos

Date
2025-10-14
Stage
Appeal
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

A suspended sentence was imposed on Gedas Bertulis (34) during an appeal stage at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Bertulis pleaded guilty to possessing 35 videos of child sexual abuse material at his home in Mulhuddart in March 2022. The videos involved children aged between five and 13 years old in various sexual activities, including five videos of children in sexually explicit poses. Bertulis admitted to the charges and expressed remorse, stating he was glad he was caught and that his behaviour made him feel sick. His defence, Karl Monahan BL, explained that during the lockdown, Bertulis began drinking heavily and downloaded the material from websites designed to obscure user identity. Bertulis, a Lithuanian national with no relevant previous convictions, has not come to adverse garda attention since the offence. Judge Martin Nolan referenced the 2006 'DPP v Loving' judgment, which advised that in the absence of aggravating factors such as distribution or prior offending, a non-custodial sentence should be considered. As such, the judge imposed a two and a half year suspended sentence, conditional on Bertulis keeping the peace and being of good behaviour for that period.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Suspended sentence for man caught with 35 child abuse videos. Charges or matters: possession of videos of the illegal material at his home in Mulhuddart in March 2022. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

Case subjects

Gedas Bertulis

Defendant

Charges: possession of videos of the illegal material at his home in Mulhuddart in March 2022 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: He imposed a sentence of two and a half years but suspended in it full on condition that Bertulis keep the peace and be of good behaviour for that period.

Places mentioned

Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
  • Court of Appeal

Topics

Stage Appeal

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