A Port Macquarie man has been sentenced to two years in prison for possessing child abuse material.
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Ryan Thompson, 30, appeared before Magistrate Brett Shields in Port Macquarie Local Court, to learn his fate on Thursday, April 18.
According to documents submitted to the court, after investigations were conducted by the Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU), a search warrant was granted for Thompson's premises at Matthew Flinders Drive, Port Macquarie.
Around 7.45am on July 5, 2023, the search warrant was executed with an Apple iPhone, Toshiba laptop, Telstra smartphone and a 4 terabyte Seagate hard drive, all of which belonged to the offender, seized from the property.
On July 25, 2023 police received a computer generated report for the Toshiba laptop which found 838 video files of category one child abuse material.
Court documents show the videos largely consisted of "mostly prepubescent female children".
The report also found 88 video files of category two child abuse materials which largely consisted of girls believed to be aged between 12 to 15-years-old "engaging in sexual activity".
Thompson was arrested by police at Port Macquarie TAFE on July 31, 2023.
Thompson was granted bail by the Sydney Supreme Court on November 15, 2023.
He has previously been denied bail on two occasions in the Port Macquarie Local Court.
The 30-year-old was represented by his lawyer Isaac Morrison in Port Macquarie Local Court on April 18.
As part of the defence submissions, Mr Morrison said Thompson had already observed "substantial prison time", and he has shown "good prospects of rehabilitation" since being on bail.
In sentencing, Magistrate Shields said he deemed the offence to be "high" on the objective seriousness scale.
"In my view, the objective gravity of the offences before the court crosses into high-range serious conduct threshold," he said.
Thompson was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, starting on December 31, 2023, and ending on December 30, 2025, with a non-parole period of 18 months.
"[In sentencing], I had to take into account all the relevant factors... including general deterrence, denunciation of the conduct, reflection of harm done to the victims of the crime, and also to protect the community," Magistrate Shields said.
Thompson will be eligible for parole on June 30, 2025.
