Missing report delays sentencing of man over 2,343 child porn images

AN Englishman caught at his home in Cork with thousands of pornographic images of children has been going to a psychotherapist every three weeks for counselling, Cork Circuit Criminal Court was told yesterday.

Colin Ashman, 31, of Tooreenfineen, Rockchapel, Co Cork, was to be sentenced yesterday but his psychotherapist’s report was not available so sentencing was put back again until November 20. He was remanded on continuing bail until that date.

Judge Patrick J Moran said the report should have been in court and he said Ashman was facing sentencing for a serious offence.

Ashman has been seeing psychotherapist, Dr Matt Kinch, who is expected to make recommendations to the court on Ashman’s future.

Ashman admitted last June the offence of knowingly having in his possession on November 19, 2001 child pornography, namely a Gateway computer containing naked images of female children.

Garda Bill Brosnan said in evidence last November at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that 2,343 images of child pornography were contained on the computer’s hard drive.

“Many of the images would be very graphic, mostly naked female children,” he said.

The images were also described as containing children involved in sexual acts.

Garda Brosnan said Ashman initially denied that the computer was his but later he admitted responsibility.

Originally from Bristol, Ashman’s former partner and their two children live in England and he has been at Rockchapel for about three years. He is unemployed.

Possession of pornographic images of children is an offence under Section 6.1 of the Child Pornography and Trafficking Act, which was introduced in 1998.

Donal O’Sullivan BL told the court that Ashman had downloaded images and had not generated or supplied them.