SHOCK AT PAEDO’S CHILD SEX DOLLS
Gardai seize porn figures imported into Ireland by sicko
A TWISTED paedo has been importing child sex dolls into Ireland, gardai have revealed.
The sordid figures were found during 31 searches of properties this week as part of a major crackdown on perverts.
It is believed a man imported the dolls from abroad. Customs officers have seized previous deliveries. Assistant Commissioner John O’driscoll said he hopes highlighting the find will turn abusers away from vile porn. The top cop, below, added: “It is the first time we have come across one in a search of this nature.
“It is an added concern to what is already an area that gives rise to considerable concern.”
DETECTIVES hunting Ireland’s child porn sickos have found kid sex dolls during a nationwide blitz this week.
The vile props were discovered as gardai raided 31 properties as part of the second phase of Operation Ketch.
It is believed a man imported the dolls and Customs seized previous orders.
Gardai also revealed:
■ Premises across 15 counties were hit between Monday and yesterday.
■ Upwards of 30 people have been interviewed by detectives
■ Seven men have made admissions to gardai following the raids, and
■ Hundreds of thousands of images have been seized.
Assistant Commissioner John O’driscoll is leading the hunt and said the importation of the child sex dolls had been stopped in the past.
He added: “It is in one of the addresses searched and it is an issue that we have discussed in recent times with Customs because they have been imported into the State.
“Customs have discovered this is the case and I think a number of them have been seized at points of entry.
“It is the first time we have come across one in a search of this nature.
“It is an added concern to what is already an area that gives rise to considerable concern to say the least.”
AC O’driscoll explained gardai held yesterday’s press conference to draw attention to the level of the problem of
child exploitation in Ireland. The officer is being supported by Det Chief Supt Declan Daly, Det Sgt Mike Smyth, DI Michael Lynch and Det Sgt Mary Mccormack in the operation.
And he believes pinpointing the scandal could turn abusers away from vile porn.
AC O’driscoll said: “We are very anxious to highlight the extent of the problem of accessing material of this nature and that can inform policy makers to properly address the issue.
“All we can do is change the mindset of these individuals and that is something of considerable concerns and is a question for society to address.
“We can only enforce the legislation that is in place. Through Operation Ketch 1 and 2 we have highlighted the extent to which this activity is taking place.
“We engage in it with a number of purposes – above all to bring those who are engaged in criminal acts before the courts and also to discourage people to engage in this activity.
“We hope through exercises like this that into the future we will not have to visit so many premises.
“It is noticeable in Ketch 1 we have almost the same amount of premises visited in the second phase.
“We intend there will be further phases and hopefully through highlighting this issue there will be a fall in premises searched.”
The officer, who is in charge of Special Crime Operations, has called on social media firms to pump money into ending the horror of child porn.
He said: “Some of the searches undertaken from this today were undertaken because of information provided by some of those companies, we are engaged with them and they provide assistance. It is no different to a football match where there are resources provided to each event to ensure the safety of people and the organisers who make profit from those events have to spend money to ensure there is health and safety.
“Similarly in regard to this issue it is reasonable they invest funding to prevent this type of activity.
“We clearly would like to see more done and see there would be greater difficulty in accessing this material and that it would be blocked wherever it’s available.
“We are satisfied these companies are engaging in a meaningful way when they observe suspicious activity and are assisting us in identifying these people.” Suspects who were subject of the search warrants have been identified through intelligenceled operations and some have been located by foreign police.
Chief Supt Daly said he and his officers will hunt down child abusers across the country.
He added: “An Garda Siochana wishes to reassure the community, through operations such as that undertaken over recent days and through ongoing work undertaken by the Online Exploitation Unit, that the Garda Siochana will relentlessly pursue those involved in the possession, importation and distribution of child abuse material.”
We are very anxious to highlight the extent of this problem AC JOHN O’DRISCOLL YESTERDAY