Henry Murphy: Law student’s child abuse material shame

A law student’s mother broke down in tears as the 21-year-old was jailed over his possession of ‘grave’ child abuse material.

An aspiring lawyer has been handed a prison sentence for possessing child abuse material depicting girls as young as five.

Henry Murphy, 21, was supported by his parents as he was sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to one count of possess child abuse material.

His mum broke down in tears in Waverley Local Court as he was handed a seven-month jail sentence by Magistrate Carolyn Huntsman.

The court heard the law student from Randwick possessed 20 images and one video featuring “grave sexual activity” portrayed between children.

Henry Murphy outside court during his sentencing.

However, the university student’s time in custody was short lived as his lawyer appealed the severity of the sentence and Murphy was released on bail pending the outcome of the appeal.

The court heard Murphy was arrested last year after New Zealand Police tipped off authorities in Australia about the child abuse material.

The agreed facts stated police searched Murphy’s home last July and his iPad and mobile phone were seized among other items.

The 20 images and one video were found on the devices.

“These images depicted females ranging from as young as five years old naked and or in sexualised positions to early teenage females in similar situations,” the agreed facts stated.

Magistrate Huntsman said she could find no alternative to full-time imprisonment.

“It is with a heavy heart that that is the outcome for a 22-year-old man who has made an error of judgment and has been drawn in through the window of adult pornography.”

She remarked there was a worrying cultural trend that seemed to be normalising adult pornography, and Murphy had gone from viewing adult pornography to child abuse material.

“You are almost a young product of that toleration of adult pornography.”

He was sentenced at Waverley Court.

She said people must be deterred from accessing and watching child abuse material online.

“It helps to create a market for the continued exploitation and abuse of children.”

Magistrate Huntsman said every time people access and watch child abuse material it “creates encouragement” for those disseminating the abuse.

The police prosecutor had earlier stated the offending was serious and included the most vulnerable members of the community.

Murphy’s lawyer said prior to his client’s offending his client was diagnosed with COVID-19, struggling with his university studies and growing increasingly anxious.

“He is not dealing with the emotional (stresses) well and then he commences the online viewing.”

However, he said his client deleted most of the material prior to his arrest, with police finding the images in a deleted folder.

“He deleted the files, not the video, and he has sought treatment and has developed insights into the treatment.”

His lawyer also said his client had been dealing with mental health problems which were factors in his offending.

Current bail conditions include not using the internet apart from attending online university lectures and tutorials.