He got off lightly...

[sandyRoe]

How does a judge decide that one viewer of paedophile images goes to prison while another gets probation?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...hern-ireland-18740937

[murraymints]

There is just no consistency in the legal world..I am due up for jury service in the high court in two weeks time and am dreading it ..as this is the highest court in Scotland and in court no 1 as well...do not know if I can be subjective if a crime involves children !

[emmie]

who knows, but same as someone who commits endless burglaries gets probation, community order, and someone who evades their tv licence goes to jail, it's all botox

[sandyRoe]

Hopefully you'll just have to deal with someone accused of an ordinary decent criminal, Murraymints.

[murraymints]

Sandy..a good decent honest criminal..that's what I want !!!! lol

[ummmm]

Indecent images of children are scaled. His images must have been on the lower end of the scale.

[sandyRoe]

"...the images were in the most serious category." He had also distributed some of them.
He seems to have been very lucky with his judge.

[tonyav]

murraymints, I have done jury service at Crown Court ( very interesting ), you may enjoy it.

[emmie]

it goes to show that there are laws that are not consistent, which makes it maddening when you read stories like this.

[sandyRoe]

Em, judges are supposed to follow guidelines when sentencing. They are wide indeed if they can range from a slap on the wrist to time in prison.

[sunny-dave]

Interesting discussion on the radio yesterday (Woman's Hour - I was on the way to the dentist).

Someone pointed out that Judges are one of the last 'public servants' who have complete immunity from the consequences of their actions/errors.

In the case in point a Judge had given bail to someone with a history of convictions for domestic violence (he was awaiting trial for rape). The man on bail then murdered the person who had made the rape allegation. There appears to be no action whatsoever that anyone can take against the Judge for his perverse and dangerous decision.

Everyone else (police/medics/army/teachers) is accountable for their actions and can be sued/prosecuted if they get things wrong. Why not Judges?

[ummmm]

Sorry Sandy....I didn't read the link.

[ummmm]

//He described McVeigh as a pillar of the community who had been a member of his Gaelic football club but he had had to leave the area where he had been living.//

For Funks Sake...He's plays football.

[RATTER15]

Sandy, >>>How does a judge decide that one viewer of paedophile images goes to prison while another gets probation?<<<

Im sure you actually already know the answer. Each case is treated individually, one guy may have a long criminal record the other not, one may be seen as a higher risk to children than the other, one may appear more remorseful than the other, one may be distributing.......... the list goes on and on.

When we dont know the circumstances behind each and every case we cant make informed judgements as to why the sentences differ so much.

But you already knew all this didnt you?

Personally I would cut off their genitals with a rusty saw just to be on the safe side!!

[jno]

he's quite a lucky chap, isn't he? It will rob him of the opportunity to study prison architecture, which might have been useful in his chosen career.

[EDDIE51]

A contentious situation, but there are many categories of 'indecent images' that thankfully the huge majority of us never need to concern ourselves with.
Even in the 'most serious' category there are sub divisions , the worst are so bad that 99% of us could not even imagine how terrible they are. (A report a few years back said the very worst caterory involves children being mutilated for sexual gratification)

[SIRandyraven]

The guy has lost his job, family , home , friends, community, income and moved away.
So I would imagine a few months in prison makes no odds.
If he was to go to prison he would have warmth , three meals a day, free therapy , tv , sports facilities and a small community of like minded people in the segregated area he would be housed.
Oh and hot drinks available 24 hours a day. Human right passed for prisoners last week :-)

[ummmm]

What prison would that be, Andy?

Even in Cat B's they are locked up 21 hours a day.

[SIRandyraven]

In fact when I'm too old to work and feed myself and heat the house, I might chuck a bucket of crap over my local MP and get six months.
See the winter out in a nice warm open prison.
Three meals a day. Warm cell. Games facilities, tv and a load of other pensioners with the same idea lol

[excelsior-1]

while i agree with everyone about this topic, and those who watch and download should be punished i always wonder ....

why do the authorities or technical people or whoever not go after the creators of the websites ???

[SIRandyraven]

My Geat Great Great Great Grand Father was in prison.
He run a oyster house and refreshment house and it went bust in 1846.
He went to debtors prison.
Shocked to find this out when I googled his name and address a few weeks back.
Only in for six months and went onto open a coffee house in the City of London.