Nicosia, Cyprus. The Appeals Court has upheld prison sentences imposed on a man convicted of acquiring and possessing child pornography files, rejecting an appeal by Attorney General George Savvides seeking tougher penalties.
The unanimous ruling, issued on Saturday, found that the sentences imposed by the Nicosia District Court were within permissible limits and did not warrant intervention.
Sentences imposed
The defendant received an 18-month prison sentence for acquiring 792 child pornography files found on his laptop between November 21, 2016, and July 12, 2017.
He was also sentenced to 14 months in prison for possessing three child pornography files on his laptop in February 2021.
A further 30-month sentence was imposed for acquiring 186 files depicting children under the age of 13.
Concurrent terms and restrictions
The prison sentences were ordered to run concurrently.
The court also imposed supervision and exclusion orders preventing the respondent from entering places frequented by children for three years after his release.
Appeal dismissed
Savvides argued that the sentences were manifestly insufficient, citing the seriousness of the offences, available penalties under the law, previous case law and the need for deterrence.
The law provides for a maximum prison sentence of up to 10 years for offences involving the first and second categories of material, while offences involving the third category may carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The Appeals Court rejected the arguments, stating that the sentence imposed “may fall within the permissible limits so as not to be manifestly insufficient”.
