Seven-year delay in child porn case

A child pornography prosecution was delayed by more than seven years, and yesterday no penalty was imposed on the accused, who took steps to address his difficulties in the interim.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said: “It is an altogether exceptional case and I propose to give the accused the benefit of the Probation Act.”

The judge said that because the matter had come before Cork Circuit Criminal Court, rather than being dealt with at district court level, there would be a record of the offence. The defendant was also required to enter a bond to be of good behaviour for the next 12 months.