A federal judge has been removed from a case because he based a prison sentence on his belief that a child pornography defendant was genetically incapable of controlling his urges.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reassigned the case of defendant Gary Cossey from Northern District Judge Gary Sharpe after finding the judge committed plain error by ordering a longer sentence because he said Mr. Cossey had a genetic propensity to re-offend.