Man jailed for possession of 3,000 child-porn images

A Dublin man who absconded before his trial in England for possession of child pornography in 2002 has received a two year sentence for possession of over 3,000 similar images at the "upper end of the spectrum".

Jason Maguire (aged 24), of Killininny Court, Firehouse pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of child pornography under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act on July 28, 2006.

Maguire absconded before his trial in England for similar charges in 2002 and was subsequently the subject of a European arrest warrent before his detention in Ireland last year on these charges.

Judge Desmond Hogan imposed a two year sentence with the final year suspended and back dated it to last July to reflect time spent in custody.

He ordered that Maguire be registered as a sex offender and the destruction of the pornographic material.

Mr Bernard Condon BL, prosecuting, submitted that this sentence had now expired and Judge Hogan remanded Maguire in custody to be surrounded to English Authorities. He noted that Maguire would receive post-release treatment in England on completion of any sentence imposed there.

Sergeant Ivan Howlin told Mr Bernard Condon BL, prosecuting, that during a search of Maguire's rented accommodation in Firhouse they seized 15 CD-R's (Recordable Compact Discs), a number of memory sticks and two hard disk drives (HDD).

These had 2,938 photos and 300 videos depicting naked children aged between two and 15 years old who were involved in or being subject to sexual acts. He said the images were at the "upper end of the spectrum".

Maguire agreed he had sole access to the computer equipment and admitted possession of pornography but not child pornography.

Sgt Howlin said Maguire was from Dublin but had spent time in Wales where his mother lived. He had no previous convictions and lived in rented accommodation since his return to Dublin.

Sgt Howlin agreed with defence counsel, Mr Remy Farrell BL, that there were a large number of "conventional" pornographic images discovered as well as the child pornography.

He agreed that Maguire was the subject of a European arrest warrant after he failed to appear for trial in 2002 at Chester Crown Court in England on similar charges and would be surrendered to authorities there once proceedings in this jurisdiction had finished.

Mr Farrell said Maguire had worked in the computer industry but lived a "solitary existence" and had "an introverted aspect to his personality".

He said Maguire's mother was supportive of him and had visited him in prison several times since he was taken into custody in July 2006 but made it clear to him that she wished him to get therapy.