Gardaí to test computers in porn probe

FORENSIC gardaí are preparing to trawl through seven PCs and laptops suspected of containing child pornography after a raid on a house in Mayo.

Gardaí confirmed yesterday that a house was searched in Westport last Thursday with a warrant. The search was conducted under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act and seven computers were seized.

The seizure is the first of its kind in Westport, according to local Superintendent Pat Doyle.

“This is the early stage of the investigation,” added Supt Doyle insisting the information acted upon was “confidential” and “reliable”.

Meanwhile, Austrian police yesterday said investigations of 2,360 computer addresses suspected of accessing a server with abusive images of children as young as young as five, were progressing well.

Many countries have already begun court cases, said Austria’s Federal Bureau of Criminal Investigation spokesman Gerald Hasztera.

Mr Hasztera added that Irish police were “very successful” in their follow up inquiry about two suspect IP addresses.

Elsewhere, the Irish chief running a cross-country internet monitoring association yesterday warned parents to be vigilant about children getting caught up in online child pornography. Speaking after INHOPE’s global meeting in Madrid, Spain, chief executive Cormac Callanan said: “The cooperation and sharing of information between the hotlines and relevant parties has resulted in a triumph against child pornography. Nevertheless in order to stop the clear and present online danger, parents need to be alerted to the dangers.”