Teacher gets three years for child porn

A music teacher has been sentenced to three years in prison on two counts relating to the possession and distribution of child pornography.

Appearing before Wexford Circuit Criminal Court yesterday, Eanna McKenna, aged 39, of 37 College Green, Summerhill, Wexford, pleaded guilty to the possession and distribution of child pornography.

McKenna taught at a number of Wexford town secondary schools, while he was also a church organist and choirmaster in the town.

The first count related to the possession of 521 images, and 159 movie files, on a personal computer at his home address of 37 College Green, Summerhill, Wexford, on June 6, 2014.

The second count was that on dates between November 11, 2010, and March 13, 2011, he knowingly distributed child pornography.

Garda Janet Walsh outlined details of the images drawn down to the court that related to a child as young as one year, and images of boys from 2 to 6 years up to 15 years being portrayed in various sex acts with adults.

Garda Walsh said a complaint was made by the defendant’s partner, Stephen Smith, following a difficulty in their relationship, which led to a search warrant being obtained and a search carried out at the defendant home where the computers were located.

Garda Walsh also told of having found a number of chat logs and also a Skype application which allowed users to communicate by video and also allow the transfer of documents and video chat to other users, with a number of image files having been transferred from the defendant’s laptop to other users.

Describing a trail of this nature would be complex, technical, and quite lengthy, Sean Guerin, defending, said the defendant had pleaded guilty, for which he should be given credit. He also said that it was not a case where the distribution was on a commercial basis. While it was in the upper range of child pornography, the defendant expressed his remorse, while he has been accessed at low risk of reoffending.

Mr Guerin said the defendant is a person, who had struggled with his sexual orientation over a period of years while he had undergone psychotherapy treatment over an 11-month period, and has been in treatment for two years. While he has made progress he requires ongoing treatment.

Describing the offences as horrific and despicable, Judge Barry Hickson said the defendant had entered into the category of child pornography.

“I was horrified and shocked at the content of what I have heard,” said Judge Hickson. “I will take into account both the aggravating circumstances along with the mitigating factors, and the testimonials and reports before the court, but I will have to impose a prison sentence.”

Sentencing the defendant to three years in prison on each charge, the second sentence to run concurrently, Judge Hickson said” “This is where a person has behaved in a horrific and despicable manner.”