320 FACE CHILD PORN CHARGES

90% of cases sent forward for trial

MORE than 320 people have been prosecuted for possession of child pornography during the past four years.

A total of 80 people were charged with possession of imagery or videos of child sexual exploitation last year in relation to 126 alleged separate offences.

The figures from the Courts Service were slightly down on 2021 when 87 people were before the District Courts charged with 178 separate offences.

Almost 90% of child pornography offences before the District Court are sent on for trial, data shows.

Legal sources said this was in contrast with other crimes where a far higher proportion of offences were dealt with at a District Court level.

However, only a small percentage of cases involving child pornography ended up there with 112 of the 126 alleged offences last year sent forward for jury trial. In 2022, there were two offences dismissed, and five dismissed under the Probation Act.

IMPOSED

Two offences had a term of suspended imprisonment imposed while two offences were dealt with by way of a probation order.

From the 178 child pornography cases that came before the District Court in 2021, 158 of them were sent forward for trial. There was one case where a prison sentence was imposed but part-suspended, and seven cases where the full term of imprisonment was suspended.

The figures also show that four cases were struck out during 2020 and 2021, according to records released by the Courts Service under FOI.

A source said: “Clearly, any cases where there are a very large number of images or videos, and especially where these are being shared, are moving to a higher court.

“It gives an idea of the gravity with which such cases are treated that nearly 90% of them are sent forward for trial from the District Court.” In an information note on the data, the Courts Service said: “Please … note that an offence may receive more than one order and a person may have more than one offence.”