PA Superior Court upholds sentence for child sexual abuse materials

The Pennsylvania Superior Court on Monday denied an appeal by a Dennison Township man who challenged his lengthy state prison sentence for downloading and sharing child sexual abuse materials.

Christopher Patrick O’Connor, of East Nescopeck Creek Lane, believed Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas imposed an excessive sentence of seven-to-18 years in state prison on 50 counts each of child pornography and dissemination of photo or film of child sexual abuse materials.

Lupas imposed the sentence May 5, 2023.

O’Connor appealed the sentence believing his acceptance of responsibility, remorse and participated voluntarily in treatment groups was ignored.

O’Connor was arrested in July 2022 after Luzerne County detectives received several Cyber tips involving the uploading of 65 images of child sexual abuse materials in March 2022, according to court records.

Emails and phone numbers used to upload the images were linked to O’Connor, court records say.

A three-member panel of the Superior Court upheld O’Connor’s sentence in a 10-page ruling that upheld Lupas’ sentence.

“The record confirms that (Lupas) was aware of and considered all relevant sentencing factors in fashioning (O’Connor’s) sentence….we discern no abuse of (Lupas) sentencing discretion, (O’Connor) is not entitled to relief on this claim,” the Superior Court ruled.