Norwich child sex abuser sentence 'not unduly lenient'
A child sex abuser who was spared jail because of the impact on his family was not given an "unduly lenient" sentence, the solicitor general has decided.
Gary Karn, 48, was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence at Norwich Crown Court for sexually assaulting two girls, aged seven and eight.
The case was reviewed by the attorney general's office, which can refer cases to the Court of Appeal.
The solicitor general did not believe the sentence could be increased.
Karn had denied three sexual assaults of a child under 13, involving two girls, and was convicted following a trial.
It is understood he could have faced up to four years in prison.
'Could lose home'
Judge Mark Lucraft, sitting at Norwich Crown Court on 24 April, said he had to consider the "hardship" prison would cause Karn's wife and two children.
His wife had written to the court saying if he was jailed Karn would lose his job and the family could lose their home.
Judge Lucraft said: "I have to consider the impact on them. People who are not in any way at fault for what has happened, yet might suffer serious hardship."
Karn, from Firwood Close, Norwich, was given an 18-month sentence, suspended for two years, and also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
He was also made the subject of a five-year sexual offences prevention order and banned from working with children for five years.
Judge Lucraft said he had taken into account six counts of possessing an extreme pornographic image and one count of possession of indecent photographs of a child.
The attorney general's office received a request for the sentence to be reviewed.
A spokeswoman for the attorney general's office said: "Following a very careful review of this case the solicitor general Oliver Heald QC has decided not to refer the sentence of Gary Karn to the Court of Appeal, as he did not believe that the sentence for the offences would be increased.
"The Law Officers only take decisions whether or not to refer cases to the Court of Appeal after careful consideration of all the facts and circumstances of the case and the relevant sentencing case law.
"In this case, they received case papers from the local Crown Prosecution Service whose view was that the sentence was not unduly lenient."