Lay minister jailed for images at ‘gravest level’ of child porn

A Church of Ireland lay minister and former school caretaker was yesterday jailed at Limerick District Court for possessing child pornography.

Gerard Fitzgerald, aged 62 of Grianan, Westbury, Corbally, had 13 images on his computer, some of which were at the “gravest level” of child pornography.

Fitzgerald denied knowingly having the images in his possession at his home on Mar 19, 2010, contrary to Section 6 of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998.

Judge Eugene O’Kelly, who heard Fitzgerald had previously worked as a caretaker in a Limerick primary school, said it was concerning that he should seek out such work when he had an appetite for child pornography.

The court was also told he worked as a lay minister in St Michael’s Church, Pery Square in Limerick.

Fitzgerald admitted he had viewed images of child pornography once or twice a week but denied it was for sexual gratification. He said he had no idea that to view or download these images was sex abuse.

Mark Nicholas, defending, said his client had not stored the images on his computer and did not know of their existence in a computer program designed to store a history of what had been viewed.

Detective Garda Martin Hogan of the Computer Crime Investigations Unit, Harcourt St, Dublin, said that while the number of images was small, the content was at the most severe range of what he had encountered.

Fitzgerald admitted browsing the internet for pornography including bestiality and said he found it interesting to see “how low people can go and the depth of depravity”.

Judge O’Kelly said there was nothing normal about viewing child pornography and imposed a five-month jail sentence.

Fitzgerald was also registered as a sex offender for five years.