A DISTRICT Court judge has refused to accept jurisdiction in the case of a West Cork man alleged to have uploaded more than 100 pornographic images of children to two social media sites.
BY DAVID FORSYTHE
Detective Garda Fintan Slater of the West Cork Protective Services Unit told Bandon District Court that the man who is aged in his 60s was alleged to have uploaded images to a Facebook account and a MeWe account.
Det. Gda Slater said that a search warrant for an address in West Cork was obtained and three devices, two mobile phones, and a laptop were seized.
Analysis identified a total of 136 pornographic images of children.
Evidence was also uncovered of images being sent to another individual.
Det Gda Slater said that 31 of the images were identified as ‘category 1’ the most serious type, 74 were ‘category 2’ and 31 were ‘category 3’. The man was arrested and made full admissions.
Judge Monika Leech noted that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal of the case in the District Court on a guilty plea and the accused man had pleaded guilty.
She said, however, that because of the serious nature of the images and the fact that 31 of them were classified as ‘category 1’ it was ‘not a matter of a minor nature’ adding ‘the material is too serious for this to remain in this court,’ and she refused jurisdiction.
Judge Leech said that the accused man could go forward to the Circuit Court on a signed guilty plea if that was his wish but that was a matter for him and his solicitor.
The man’s defence solicitor asked the judge if she would agree to adjourn the matter for him to take further instructions from his client.
The case was adjourned for the accused to indicate their position.
