Judge Lets Child Porn Defendant Walk

[The Straight Story]

Judge Lets Child Porn Defendant Walk

Oct 9, 9:09 PM (ET)


HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - An Avon man who had been found with scores of images of child pornography on his computer and videos of children being violently raped has avoided prison time.

Edward J. Burke III, 47, was given a suspended sentence last week after going into a courtroom expecting to spend up to four years behind bars.

Burke, 47, of Avon, was convicted in a plea deal of two counts of first-degree possession of child pornography.

Prosecutor John F. Fahey told Judge Thomas P. Miano that Burke had 141 photo images and two videotapes of known child victims on a home computer. The victims ranged in age from toddlers to prepubescent children.

Fahey and Burke's defense lawyer, John D. Maxwell, had worked out a deal that called for Burke to receive up to four years in prison, five years' probation, and mandatory sex offender registration for 10 years.

But the agreement gave Maxwell the right to argue for a completely suspended prison sentence, which was granted by Superior Court Judge Thomas J. Miano.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061010/D8KLF5IG0.html

[lvx35]

1. He was distributing it:

Authorities were directed at Burke after his Internet provider determined that he was distributing child porn images to others.

Which is even worse.

[Ecumenist]

2. WTF is going on??

This feels like the judge was saying in so many words, that it's okay to distribute kiddie porn, let alone have it.

[mcscajun]

3. Either the prosecutor slipped up, or he's not wound up about child porn

which seems unlikely in a prosecutor. Fahey agreed to a deal that looked like prison time for Burke, and didn't know (or didn't care?) that the defendent would be able to argue for a suspended sentence?

:wtf: