ISPCC attacks ‘short’ child porn sentences

IRELAND is being viewed internationally as a country which does not respect or protect children because of the “rare and short” prison sentences handed down to the creators and viewers of child pornography.

The claim by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children follows yet another year in which numerous child pornography offenders were given suspended sentences despite possessing thousands of images of abuse.

In the two latest cases, Sam Wiltshire and David Ivers were between them caught in possession of more than 16,000 images and videos of children.

Ivers was given a four-year suspended jail sentence for 15,000 images described by one senior garda as among the worst he had seen.

Wiltshire was captured with 1,000 images and videos of children as young as seven. In some the victims were being raped. He received a three-year suspended sentence.

At any one time on the internet, it is estimated there are around 750,000 predators searching for sites featuring child pornography and that there are one million different images of abused children available to them.

However, at a time when other countries, notably the United States, are sentencing offenders to long prison terms, Ireland has for the last five years barely increased the penalties for creating and downloading images of child abuse.

“These sentences give the very clear and unequivocal message that Ireland is not a society that respects and protects children,” said ISPCC national advocacy manager Mary Nicholson.

“The Government needs to review the legislation dealing with cases of abusive images of children to ensure child pornography is seen for what it is, clear abuse of children, a depraved crime which should have serious consequences. More intelligence resources need to be given to those who investigate these crimes and internet service providers need to be facilitated via legislation to take a more active role in blocking these images.”