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'Hermit' caught with child abuse material gets fully suspended sentence

Summary

Ramon Terrobias, a 62-year-old defendant, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on March 13, 2021. The matter was heard at the appeal stage, where Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two-year sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions. The court noted that Terrobias was found in possession of 296 files of CSAM, comprising 144 images and 152 videos, seized from his home in Finglas, Dublin 11. During the search, Terrobias made admissions and pointed to the devices containing the material. He told gardai that another member of a Facebook group forwarded him the material, and he claimed he saved it to investigate who was victimising children, rather than for personal gratification. The prosecution acknowledged there was no evidence of distribution or prior offending. Defence counsel highlighted Terrobias' social isolation, describing him as living "effectively as a hermit," and noted his low risk of re-offending. The judge accepted that there were no aggravating features such as distribution or previous convictions. Citing a Court of Appeal precedent favouring non-custodial sentences in the absence of such aggravating factors, the judge imposed the fully suspended sentence based on the mitigation and the defendant's personal circumstances.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Hermit' caught with child abuse material gets fully suspended sentence. Charges or matters: one count of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), known in law as child pornography, on March 13, 2021. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• March 13, 2021 Incident
• 2025-12-03 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal

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Read the original CNI report