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'Quite extraordinary' - judge criticises TD for failing to mention victim in character reference for child sex offender

Summary

The Court of Appeal has heard an appeal against the sentence of Daniel Ramamoorthy, who was convicted of sexually exploiting a 13-year-old boy and possessing child sexual abuse material. Ramamoorthy pleaded guilty to the possession charge, which was proven, while maintaining his innocence regarding the sexual exploitation offence. He was sentenced to two years and four months by Judge Sinéad McMullen at the Central Criminal Court on March 24 last year. The judge imposed an 18-month sentence for the possession charge, ordered to run concurrently with the sentence for the exploitation charge. During the appeal hearing, Mr Justice John Edwards criticised character references, including one from a TD, for failing to mention the victim or the nature of the crime. Counsel for Ramamoorthy argued the sentence was excessive and that his exceptional background and public service were not sufficiently weighted. The State argued the sentence was appropriate given the breach of trust and the victim's ongoing distress. The court reserved judgment, with the decision expected early next week.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Quite extraordinary' - judge criticises TD for failing to mention victim in character reference for child sex offender. Charges or matters: a charge of possessing child sexual abuse material, referred to in law as child pornography. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Convicted

When:

• March 24 Incident
• 2026-04-13 Publication

Why: In response to questions from the court, Mr Hartnett acknowledged that Ramamoorthy had been served with a deportation order, but said he should not be deprived of the possibility of a suspended term "just because he lives outside the jurisdiction". CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal

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Read the original CNI report