High volume of child porn probes causes 4-year backlog of forensic tests

The high volume of investigations into suspected possession of child porn has caused a backlog of up to four years in the Garda office responsible for forensically examining computers.

In one case where IT equipment was seized as part of a probe into suspected child pornography, the computers remained at Garda forensics for four years.

Judge Olann Kelleher said at Cork District Court yesterday he was startled to think the volume of these cases was causing such a backlog.