County Wexford man who became fascinated with child abuse images is given suspended sentence

Details of the material held by Darragh Kinsella were given at previous hearing.

Back before the Circuit Court in Wexford, the defendant heard a summary of the case against him given to Judge James McCourt by Gorey based Detective Garda Sergeant Noel McSweeney.

The sergeant recalled that the computer was seized after a warrant to search the accused man’s home was issued in 2018.

A forensic examination of the lap-top uncovered a series of videos and images, many of them featuring young children being submitted to sexual assault.

He told investigators that he first found the dark web in 2012 and had been fascinated by child porn ever since.

On a scale of one to five, 33 videos and seven images in the collection he amassed were assessed at four, according to the prosecution. The fifth category is reserved for bestiality and similar aberrations.

Defending barrister Colman Cody stated that his client had received threats of physical violence and that his father’s car had been damaged since the garda raid.

The court was told that the accused had enrolled in UCD after completing his Leaving Cert but failed to take a degree as he began suffering panic attacks.

This proved to be the start of what Mr Colman called a downward spiral as the defendant to lapse introversion.

Judge McCourt accepted that the man in the dock had shown remorse and that the offence being considered took place while he was struggling with mental health issues.

However, these issues could not excuse the wrongdoing.

A two year sentence was suspended with the convicted man put on the sex offenders register for five years.

He was also put on probation and ordered to take courses as directed by probation staff.

An order for destruction of the computer was granted by the judge.

A previous application prohibiting the publication of the defendant’s home address remains in place.